The teaching of Hebrew is punished by imprisonment. and the training of religious leadership for the Jewish people is prohibited in the Soviet Union. We in the Western World must come to the aid of the Soviet Jews. The only hope that these prisoners of conscience have is emigration to Israel or the West. In 1979. more than 51.000 Jews emigrated from the Soviet Union. Since then. the figures have decreased by 98 percent. In 1983. only slightly more than 1.000 Soviet Jews were allowed to emigrate. This trend must be revered. One way to assist Soviet Jews is to adopt a refusenik. I have adopted Boris Rifkin and his family. on whose behalf I have been working for 5 years. This family had been attempting to emigrate for many years before that. In the spring of 1981. his children. Boris. Jr. and Luba. and their mother. Dina. were finally granted emigration visas. Boris. Sr.. however. was not allowed to leave. In order for the children and wife to be granted their passage to freedom. Boris and Dina were required to get a divorce. Their dilemma exemplifies the sacrifices so many are willing to make to obtain emigration visas. Since moving to the Detroit area. Boris children have been petitioning the Soviet Union to grant Boris an exit visa. I will continue to work on Mr. Rifkins case. It is my sincere hope that I can soon attend the second wedding of Boris and Dina. We must reaffirm to Soviet leaders that we are dedicated to the cause of human rights. and that until Soviet citizens can emigrate to free soil. Americans will not be silent. The great historian Simon Dubnor said. as he was about to be executed by the Nazis. "The greatest crime is silence ...
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