Lev received another refusal in January 1976 and was advised to wait 1 more year before reapplying. Despite official Soviet promises to review cases every 6 months. Lev was never granted a visa. In October 1976. Lev and a friend went on a 3day hunger strike while their respective sons supported them by staging a hunger strike outside the Aeroflot office (Russian Airlines) in New York. Levs friend was granted permission to depart. but Lev had to remain behind. Since then. Levs several attempts to secure a visa have been repeatedly denied. In the meantime. he looks after refusenik children and cares for the prisoners of conscience. Yet his dream of leaving the U.S.S.R. and being reunited with his wife and children in the United States still shines bright.