In Memory of Lynn Singer
On the 30th of November, Lynn Singer left this world. She died after a long and tortuous illness which she fought with all her might. Consistent with her character, she never lost hope and, as throughout her life, she never complained.
Many of the aliya activists, Prisoners of Zion and Refuseniks were personally acquainted with Lynn and there were a number who counted her as a close family friend.
Lynn Singer was the quintessential activist of the grassroots movement – a mass voluntary movement of ordinary people whose activities were motivated by their conscience and sincere concern for the destiny of Soviet Jews. Activists of the movement clearly recognized the necessity to save Soviet Jews from full assimilation, constant repression and the threat of physical extermination. Their activities were not defined by orders but by the movement of their souls.
Lynn Singer understood well the great potential of this voluntary movement. From the moment of its birth, an uninterrupted flow of visitors arrived to a country surrounded by the Iron Curtain. These were ordinary American Jews and Jews from other countries. Suddenly, the Refuseniks understood that they were not alone; that in the United States and in other countries there were people who were not indifferent to their fate; that they were part of one big Jewish family that never abandons their brethren in trouble. It is not surprising that we called Lynn Singer our Yiddishe Mama with a heart big enough to encompass all her children, no matter how many…
But he was not only a Yiddishe Mama but was a leader of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, one of the most influential American Jewish organizations. Lynn had the ability to address even the highest governmental officials and she always knew precisely what to say and do. No obstacles could ever stop her from achieving her goals.
Without diminishing the role of the United States government and other Western countries in their policies toward the former Evil Empire, we can say that the grassroots movement of American Jews played a decisive role in keeping alive the hope for freedom for Soviet Jews. The role that Lynn played in our final victory is priceless.
Lynn Singer is gone.
Our Yiddishe Mama, a member of our family is gone.
May her memory be a blessing. We will remember her to our last breath.