Rambam calls for pidyon shevuim

Approximately 200 students and staff members of the Rambam Mesivta High School held a rally outside the Cuban Mission to the United Nations in an attempt to help Alan Gross gain his release. According to rally organizer and Rosh Mesivta of Rambam,  Rabbi Zev Friedman, “This is clearly a case of Pidyon Shevuim: a Jew is being held in jail in a non-democratic, totalitarian regime on what may very well be nothing more than political gamesmanship. It is our obligation to do whatever we can to secure his release."

Alan Gross is a Jewish contractor who has travelled to Cuba numerous times on behalf of his company. On more than one occasion his bags were checked at the airport and he was required to pay tax on the electronic devices he was transporting. On his last visit, in 2009, Alan was arrested and held by the Cuban authorities for close to two years without knowing what the charges were. In 2011 Alan found out that he was being charged with "Acts against the independence and territorial integrity of the state," and was to receive a 15 year sentence.

American authorities, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, called Alan’s detention “deplorable” and said that he “deserves to come home.”  Numerous members of the House and Senate have lobbied on behalf of Alan's release and many of them were successful in visiting him in Cuba. According to Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, after he and a congressional delegation met with Cuban authorities, the authorities said quote, “That they do not consider Gross a spy.”

Many have speculated that the Cubans are in fact interested in a prisoner exchange for the “Havana Five” and would release Alan if they were able to secure the release of some or all of the Cubans currently being held in the United States on charges of espionage. Just last week, a district court judge in Miami granted one of them, René Gonzalez, a temporary release from prison and permission to visit his ailing brother in Cuba.

Emphasizing the fact that Alan's mother is currently 90 years old and suffering from inoperable lung cancer, students chanted “Let Alan see his mom” in an attempt to focus on the humanitarian reasons for why Alan should be reunited with his family. In fact, his mother’s dying wish is that she be able to see her son one last time before it is too late. Compounding Alan’s personal situation is the fact that his daughter was recently diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery and that Alan himself is not well and has lost close to 100 pounds since his incarceration two years ago.

According to Assistant Principal Mr. Hillel Goldman, who stressed at the rally that he was there, “Not to talk politics, but to talk people,” this rally represents the hashkafa of the Mesivta.  “One of the goals of Rambam is to cultivate the complete person and to inspire each talmid to be a mensch who is responsive to the needs of others and is not afraid to speak out in the name of achdus.”

 “Social activism for Torah-based causes is a mitzvah and an effective tool in terms of teaching students today to be the leaders of tomorrow,” expressed Rabbi Friedman noting that, “Rallies like this also help talmidim recognize how fortunate they are to live in a democratic country which allows them to learn Torah and do mitzvos without fear of discrimination.”  Students clearly got the message as they thanked members of the NYPD and chanted “God Bless America” at the conclusion of the rally.