Speech #980215454

When I returned from Russia in 1979. I organized a letterwriting campaign on behalf of Jews and Christians whom Senator LEVIN and I met during the trip. I received several thousand letters. largely from Oklahomans. asking Soviet authorities to give these persons permission to emigrate and turned over the letters to Soviet officials here in Washington. I am very pleased that since my trip in 1979. members of two families with whom Senator LEVIN and I met have been allowed to emigrate. These families had lived in the basement of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for over 7 years. They had fled there for fear of their lives after refusing to curtail the practice of their own religion. Millions of other Soviet Jews and Christians are being denied the right to emigrate from the Soviet Union by the Soviet Government. By participating in todays Fast and Vigil for Soviet Jewry. I hope that I can contribute in a small way to helping to win the freedom to emigrate for the Kogens. for Zacher Zunshine and for countless others. The Government of the Soviet Union could make a great contribution to the cause of peace in the world and to restoring a more constructive dialog with the West by taking compassionate and humane action in cases like these.