Jewish and interfaith groups organized simultaneous vigils in Washington and New York calling for the release of Jewish American contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban prison.
The vigils, coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, were scheduled for Friday, Sept. 23 at the Cuba Interests section in Washington and the Cuba mission to the United Nations in New York.
At both vigils, organizers said they would attempt to present Cuban officials with petitions calling for Gross’ release before Rosh Hashanah. The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington is co-sponsoring the vigil there.
Gross, 62, a subcontractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, has been imprisoned since 2009 and was sentenced this summer to 15 years in prison for attempting to overthrow Cuba’s government. He reportedly was hooking up the island’s small Jewish community with access to the Internet.
Gross is ailing in prison and reportedly has lost 100 pounds. — jta