In a development that could reshape the narrative of one of the most infamous espionage cases of the Cold War, a recently declassified memo from a top U.S. government codebreaker suggests that Ethel Rosenberg may not have been directly involved in spying for the Soviet Union.
The document, obtained by Rosenberg’s sons through a Freedom of Information Act request, has reignited debate about the atomic espionage case that led to the execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1953.
The memo, written by Meredith Gardner, who was a linguist and codebreaker for what later became the National Security Agency, states that while Ethel Rosenberg knew about her husband’s espionage activities, she “did not engage in the work herself” due to ill health, the Associated Press reported.
This assessment, made days after Rosenberg’s arrest in August 1950, contradicts the prosecution’s portrayal of her as an active participant in her husband’s spy network.
Robert and Michael Meeropol, the Rosenbergs’ sons, view the memo as a “smoking gun” that proves their mother’s innocence.
“This puts it on both sides of the Atlantic—in other words, both the KGB and the NSA ended up agreeing that Ethel was not a spy,” Robert said. The brothers are now urging President Joe Biden to issue a formal proclamation exonerating their mother.
The Rosenberg case has long been a subject of historical debate and controversy. While Julius Rosenberg is widely accepted to have been a Soviet spy, questions about Ethel’s role have persisted for decades. The newly released memo adds weight to arguments that Ethel may have been unfairly convicted and executed.
However, some historians maintain that there is still evidence of Ethel’s involvement in supporting her husband’s activities. Harvey Klehr, a retired Emory University historian, argues that while she may not have directly passed on classified information, she was “an active participant in her husband’s spy network.”
The memo’s release comes after years of efforts by the Meeropols to clear their mother’s name. In 2015, grand jury testimony from Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, was unsealed, revealing that he had not implicated his sister in espionage activities, contrary to his damaging trial testimony that helped secure her conviction.
The Meeropols believe that the Gardner memo would have been available to FBI and Justice Department officials during the investigation and prosecution of their parents. This raises questions about why Ethel was put on trial and ultimately executed despite the codebreaker’s assessment.
The case continues to resonate with many in the Jewish community, highlighting issues of antisemitism and the climate of fear during the McCarthy era.
Robert Meeropol, now 77, had a very delayed bar mitzvah celebration six years ago at a Rohr Jewish Learning Institute retreat, where he put on tefillin for the first time and spoke openly about his experiences as the “Cold War’s most famous orphan.”
As the debate over Ethel Rosenberg’s role in the espionage case carries on, the full implications of this new evidence remain to be seen. As his efforts to clear his mother’s name continue, Robert Meeropol noted, “I’m incredibly relieved to have this out while I’m still alive.” JNS
{Matzav.com}
