Synagogues have been closed in almost systematic fashion as a result of both direct and indirect governmental actionin 1956. there were 450 synagogues. in April of 1963. 100. and today the figure has dwindled to less than 60. And unlike most other nationalities. the distinctive language. activities and community institutions of Jews have been severely restricted. This intolerable situation is even more tragic because Soviet Jews are not allowed to emigrate to countries where religious and cultural diversity are tolerated. They are not permitted to exercise their religion and sustain their cultural identity in the Soviet Union. and. at the same time. they are being denied the right to leave the very society that is stifling them. On April 17 of this year. the House passed a bill. House Concurrent Resolution 461. which was designed to bring to bear the influence of the United States on behalf of the persecuted Jewish minority in the Soviet Union. Specifically. the resolution called on the President to request of the Soviet Government that it allow its citizens the right to emigrate to the countries of their choice. as affirmed by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Yet. what has been the response of the Soviet Union to this congressional action? The imposition of exit fees which. in effect. prohibit most Soviet Jews who wish to emigrate from doing so. The schedule of fees is nothing less than exhorbitant. for the range is from $6.000 to $37.000. depending on the prospective emigrants level of education. In addition. the fees are incremental. and a holder of several degrees would be obliged to pay a sum of money for each degree. The severity of this situation becomes even more apparent when we look at the average monthly income in the Soviet Unionthe equivalent of $153.
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emigrate emigrants