Bring Alan Gross home

Bring Alan Gross home
09/23/2014 5:49 PM 09/23/2014 5:49 PM

The Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, will begin at sunset Wednesday, when
Jews worldwide will join with friends and family to hope and pray for a
sweet new year.

As the The Herald has frequently reported, Alan Gross witnessed his last
sunset in freedom more than four years ago. In 2009, Gross, an American
citizen, was arrested and convicted on charges that his work as a
subcontractor to the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) to bring the Internet to the small Jewish community undermined
the Cuban government. His sentence is 15 years. Gross' situation is dire
and getting worse. He has lost 100 pounds, has lost vision in his right
eye and he can no longer walk. His mother recently died and he could not
be with her to say goodbye. Shortly after her death, Gross declared that
his life in prison is not worth living.

This Rosh Hashanah, Gross will be languishing in a Cuban prison cell,
marking the fifth new year that he will do so. He has told his family it
will be his last.

Gross went to Cuba on behalf of the U.S. government. It is time for the
government to bring him home. While members of the administration and
Congress have worked on his release, it has not been enough.

Members of our Jewish community and our friends of good will can sign a
petition to President Obama to ask him to take meaningful steps to
secure Gross' release — jewishmiami.org/alangross. There are more than
8,000 signatures. We can do better.

SHELLEY NICELEY GROFF, CHAIR, JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL,
GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION, MIAMI

Source: Bring Alan Gross home | The Miami Herald -
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article2218703.html