Turning the pages back...

May 29, 1978

Philadelphia area Ukrainians and Jews engaged in a brief confrontation with a Soviet ocean liner on May 29, 1978, as they attempted to focus public attention on human rights violations in the Soviet Union.

Renting a pleasure vessel from Rainbow River Tours, members of the Committee for the Defense of Valentyn Moroz and the Jewish Community Relations Council sailed up the Delaware River in the Good Ship Lollipop to the Tioga pier where the Soviet liner, called the Odessa, was moored. The ship was scheduled to weigh anchor at 4 p.m. and depart for a six-day cruise to Bermuda.

Armed with bullhorns and protest signs in English, Ukrainian and Russian, the protesters hoped to come within range of the Odessa so that the crew could read the signs and hear their chants. The signs read "Freedom for Ukrainians" and "Free Soviet Jews." The two groups chanted "Svoboda" and loudspeakers played "Exodus" and Ukrainian songs. Philadelphia police patrol boats and Coast Guard cutters kept the Good Ship Lollipop about 300 feet away from the Odessa.

Ulana Mazurkevich, chairwoman of the Moroz committee, said the joint Ukrainian-Jewish effort was aimed at pointing out Russian oppression of both groups. "In the Soviet press they have daily articles saying that 'Ukrainian nationalists are working with Zionist Jews.' This will really infuriate them," said Ms. Mazurkevich.

Sister Gloria Coleman, chairwoman of the Philadelphia Inter-religious Task Force on Soviet Jewry explained: "One group (the Jews) wants freedom of exit; the other wants the ability to live in freedom," adding "but we are all working for human rights."

Source: "Philadelphia Ukrainians, Jews rent boat to picket Soviet ocean liner," The Ukrainian Weekly, June 11, 1978.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 23, 2004, No. 21, Vol. LXXII

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