The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500 May 2012
Dear Mr. President:
We, the undersigned over one hundred religious and communal leaders
representative of the broad spectrum of community faiths across Florida –
wish to add our voices in support of clemency for Jonathan Pollard. We are
united in the fundamental belief that “Justice, only justice, shall you pursue”
(Deuteronomy 16:20), which rests at the core of our moral principles and
system of justice.
Mr. Pollard is currently serving his 27th year of a life sentence, having been
indicted on one count of passing classified information to an ally without
intent to harm the United States. We certainly do not condone his crime, nor
do we underestimate the gravity of the offense. But it is patently clear that
the sentence was and remains terribly disproportionate – the average
punishment is a 2–4 year prison term – and (as several federal judges have
noted) constitutes a gross miscarriage of justice.
As you know, prominent figures from across the spectrum have publicly
stated their support for Mr. Pollard’s release. They include Nobel Laureate
Elie Wiesel; Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz;
Senators Charles Schumer, John McCain and Arlen Specter; Harvard Law
Professors Charles Ogletree and Alan Dershowitz; former Attorney General
Michael Mukasey; former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb;
Rev. Theodore Hesburgh of Notre Dame; Benjamin Hooks of the NAACP;
former federal Judge George Leighton; former New York City Mayor Rudy
Giuliani; former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olsen; and Pastor John
Hagee. In addition, thirty-nine members of Congress, led by Congressman
Barney Frank, have recently submitted to you a “Dear Colleague” letter in
support of commuting Mr. Pollard’s sentence. Perhaps most noteworthy,
similar support has come from those who have seen the classified
information of the actual damage caused, including former CIA Director R.
James Woolsey, and former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence
Committee Dennis DeConcini.
After more than two and a half decades in prison, Mr. Pollard’s health is
declining. He has repeatedly expressed remorse for his actions, and by all
accounts has served as a model inmate.
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Commuting his sentence to time served would be a wholly appropriate
exercise of your power of clemency – as well as a matter of basic fairness
and American justice. It would also represent a clear sense of compassion
and reconciliation – a sign of hope much needed in today’s world of tension
and turmoil.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Respectfully
Dr. Shaya Isenberg Cantor Patricia Hickman Rabbi Leon Rosenblum
Alachua Brevard Broward
Rabbi Pinny Andrusier Rabbi Bennett Greenspon Rabbi Schneur Oirechman
Broward Broward Leon
Rabbi Bernhard Presler Rabbi Samuel S. Kieffer Mr. Allan E. Ross
Broward Broward Broward
Rabbi Richard J. Shapiro Rabbi Schneur Kaplan Rabbi Mordechai Smolarcik
Escambia Broward Palm Beach
Rabbi Edward Davis Rabbi Yosef Weinstock Rabbi Paul Plotkin
Broward Broward Broward
Rabbi Steven Cardonick Rabbi Yaakov Thompson Rabbi Michael Gold
Broward Broward Broward
Rabbi Norman S. Lipson Rabbi Jeremy Barras Rabbi Edward M. Maline
Broward Charlotte Collier
Rabbi Shmuli Novack Rabbi Gary Glickstein Rabbi Mendel Rubashkin
Duval Miami-Dade Hillsborough
Rabbi Uriel Rivkin Rabbi Edwin Farber Rabbi Jack Romberg
Hillsborough Miami-Dade Leon
Rabbi Mendy Bukiet Rabbi Yosef Galimidi Rabbi Jonathan Berkun
Manatee Miami-Dade Miami-Dade
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Rabbi Judith Siegal Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei Rabbi Bradd H. Boxman
Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Broward
Rabbi Abraham Korf Rabbi Gabriel Ohayon Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Miami-Dade Palm Beach Palm Beach
Rabbi Alan Liwak Rabbi Moishe Kievman Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky
Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Monroe
Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun Rabbi Eliyahu Rabovsky Rabbi Terry Bookman
Miami-Dade Palm Beach Miami-Dade
Rabbi Judith Kempler Rabbi Shalom D. Lipskar Rabbi Mendy Levy
Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Miami-Dade
Rabbi David Baum Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar Rabbi Aaron D. Rubinger
Palm Beach Miami-Dade Orange
Rabbi Jaime Aklepi Rabbi Eliot Pearlson Pastor William Thompson
Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Palm Beach
Rabbi Robert Silvers Rabbi Chaim Shapiro Rabbi Abraham Rabah Bitton
Palm Beach Palm Beach Miami-Dade
Rabbi Shimon Dudai Mr. Simon Fields Rabbi Geoffrey D. Botnick
Monroe Broward Palm Beach
Rabbi Jack Engel Rabbi Raul Nerenberg Rabbi Sholom Ber Korf
Palm Beach Palm Beach Palm Beach
Rabbi Gregory Kanter Rabbi Zalman Levitin Rabbi David Englander
Palm Beach Palm Beach Palm Beach
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner Rabbi Bertraim Kieffer Rabbi Shalom Meir Holzkenner
Palm Beach Palm Beach Broward
Rabbi Yoel Gancz Rabbi Howard Shapiro Pastor Carlos Valenzuela
Palm Beach Palm Beach Miami-Dade
Rabbi Cyrus Arfa Rabbi Moshe Lazaros Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting
Pinellas Polk Sarasota
Ms. Meril Salzburg Rabbi Kenneth Brander Rabbi Yankie Denburg
Seminole Palm Beach Broward
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Rabbi Daniel Levin Rabbi Bruce Warshal Rabbi Haskell M Bernat
Palm Beach Broward Miami-Dade
Rabbi Neal Turk Rabbi Menachem M. Katz Pastor Pedro Oliveria
Miami-Dade Miami-Dade Broward
Rabbi Chay Amar Pastor Ruben Arroyo Rabbi Shloime Halsband
Miami-Dade Palm Beach Miami-Dade
Rabbi Mark Gross Rabbi Meir Moshe Haber Rabbi Gavriel Koskas
Broward Miami-Dade Miami-Dade
Rabbi Barry Silver Rabbi Charles Abramchik Rabbi Richard Chapin
Palm Beach Miami-Dade Palm Beach
Rabbi Leon Fink Rabbi Myron S. Geller Rabbi Steven Newman
Broward Miami-Dade Miami-Dade
Rabbi Herbert Panitch Rabbi Jack Riemer Rabbi Amichai Cohen
Miami-Dade Palm Beach Palm Beach
Pastor Mario Bramnick Pastor John Woodin Rabbi Randall J. Konigsburg
Broward Broward Broward
Pastor Hernan Barera Pastor Valentin Fontanez Pastor Michael Maass
Broward Palm Beach Palm Beach
Rabbi Jory Lang Pastor Favio O’Campo Pastor Blas Ramirez
Miami-Dade Martin Palm Beach
Pastor Lissette Diaz Rabbi Daniel Treiser Pastor Francisco Hernandez
Palm Beach Pinellas Broward
Dr. George Rosado Pastor Pedro J. Ortiz, Jr Rabbi Menachem Mendel Muskal
Palm Beach Palm Beach Palm Beach
Bishop Charles Leigh Pastor Frank G. Pascarella
Hillsborough Broward
