A conversation with Judy Gross

By Tracey Eaton

www.jewishledger.com

Forget South Florida politics, negotiate with the Cubans and find a way to bring Alan Gross home. That's what Judy Gross told me earlier this week.
Her husband has been in jail in Cuba for more than four years - 1,521 days, to be exact. And she said she is angry and frustrated that the U.S. government doesn't do more to secure his freedom. She said:

...It's been way, way too long and our government is responsible for Alan being there and I just can't believe that they can't do anything about it. Sometimes I wonder if there's some kind of motive behind it. Not to be paranoid, but it just blows my mind still that they don't even mention Alan's name.

Gross reiterated her call to President Obama to step up efforts to free her husband. Asked about Secretary John Kerry's recent request that the Vatican help out, Gross said:

...it's really Secretary Kerry's job to free Alan, not the Pope. So instead of asking the Pope, I think Secretary Kerry should work on it.

Judy Gross also faulted the Cuban government for jailing her husband in 2009, but expressed admiration for the Cuban people.

I really love Cuba and I hope to keep going back under different circumstances. The people are so friendly...

A full transcript of our interview is below:

Tracey Eaton: How are you?

Judy Gross: I'm doing OK, just you know living life every day and trying to do the best I can.

Eaton: After your last visit to Cuba, do you see any hopeful signs? Did you learn anything new that gives you reason to be more optimistic?

Gross: You know, I was just there three weeks ago. The thing that was positive, I think, and that was different is that just coincidentally Scott (Gilbert, the Gross family lawyer) and I were there at the same time as the State Department delegation for the migration talks, so they got to meet with Alan and that's the first time, other than the Interests Section in Cuba, that's really the first time somebody from State has met with him.

So if there was anything positive I think it was very good for them to see Alan and to talk to him and to see what his daily life is like and to hear his issues and how he's feeling. It put something real to the person, to get to really see him face to face.

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