Speech #940040294

Although the standard of technology In his place of work and at his own level were significantly behind those of the advanced countries. Slepak appreciated that he could be considered as a person performing socalled "secret work" and that therefore there could be a delay in the issue to him of an exit permit. He therefore left his place of work one year before he actually submitted his application to emigrate. At his next place of employment he was dimissed as soon as they learned that he was intending to emigrate to Israel. At his third place of work he was offered such intolerable working conditions that he was again compelled to leave of his own accord. As very frequently occurs with Jews in the USSR who are trying to emigrate to Israel. shortly after he was deprived of the possibility of work. Slepak. a highly qualified engineer. was declared a parasite and compelled to work as a workshop handyman. requiring no qualification except the ability to sharpen drawing instruments. Since the end of 1972. he has not worked at all. Slepaks older son. Alexander. 22. applied to a number of institutes of higher education when he left school. but In each one he was refused on the grounds that he Intended to emigrate to Israel and that it was not in the Soviet Unions interest to prepare specialists for Israel. However. when he suggested that he alone be given permission to leave without his parents. that was also refused. Slepak has suffered arrest and detention dozens of times and his home was searched in connection with the first Leningrad Trial and also the Ilya Glezer and Lazar Lubarsky trials.