American held in Cuba gets Rosh Hashanah visit
By Portia Siegelbaum
Jailed U.S. contractor Alan Gross shared honey cake and coffee with
leaders of Cuba's Jewish community on the eve of Rosh Hashanah,
according to one of the participants.
In an email sent to CBS News, Adela Dworin, president of the community,
says she and David Prinstein, vice president of the Jewish Community
Center had a "private" two-hour meeting with Gross.
Dworin describes Gross as being dressed in a blue guayabera, the typical
pleated-front Cuban dress shirt.
"According to his own words and what we could see, his physical
condition is good and he is receiving careful medical attention," she
writes.
She says he spoke about his concern over the health of his closest
relatives. "For our part, he received the promise that we would pray for
their rapid recovery." Gross's daughter was recently operated on for
breast cancer and his mother has also been diagnosed with cancer.
Their visit took place in a small room for visitors at the Havana
Military Hospital where the American is serving his time.
This is the second time the Cuban Government has facilitated such a
visit with the American sub-contractor arrested in December 2009 and
sentenced to 15 years in prison last March after a two-day trial for
smuggling in illegal internet equipment that could be used by government
opponents to escape official controls and promote regime change. The
Cuban Supreme Court heard an appeal from his lawyers but upheld his
sentence.
Dworin says they could see Gross was "very grateful for the interest
exhibited by the Cuban Jewish Community to visit him and share with him
the arrival of the new year 5772." Dworin's first visit with Gross, last
April to take him Passover foods lasted only 30 minutes.
On this occasion, "Coffee, water and juices" were set out on a table in
a corner of the room and Gross, "In his role as 'host' together with us
offered the typical Jewish toast: L'chaim -- to life," according to Dworin.
Dworin says they brought Gross traditional New Year's sweets, including
honey cake prepared for him by women in the congregation. "The three of
us shared this typical cake while conversing about different things,"
reads the email. Asked by phone if Gross had asked the Cuban Jewish
Community to intervene in seeking his release, Dworin said no.
Gross insists he was only working to improve internet access for the
island's Jewish Community.
There have been many pleas for his release on humanitarian grounds by
his wife, the U.S. Government and most recently by former New Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson, who left Havana earlier this month after failing
to gain Gross' release or even being allowed to visit him. Richardson
said he was in Cuba as a private citizen but that he had the support of
the State Department. Both President Obama and State Department have
described Gross' imprisonment as a major obstacle to any further
improvement in U.S.-Cuba relations.
No comments:
Post a Comment