Speaker. I am pleased to participate in the 1985 Congressional Call to Conscience Vigil for Soviet Jews. Unfortunately. those of us who have been involved over the years in efforts to ease the plight of Soviet Jews seeking freedom of religion or the right to emigrate know all too well that the situation for these people has become seriously worse in recent years. According to the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews. there are under 60 synagogues in the Soviet Union for that nations 2 million Jews. The teaching of Hebrew. Judaica. or any religious text is strictly prohibited and the printing of Hebrew Bibles or prayer books is unauthorized. The number of Jews emigrating from the Soviet Union continues its steady decline. from 51.000 in 1979 to a pitiful 896 in 1984. In addition. harassment of those who have requested permission to emigrate or who have attempted to study their religious heritageeither by teaching Hebrew or by holding prayer meetings or religious seminarscontinues unabated. The recent arrest of Yuli Edelshtein. a prominent Moscow Hebrew teacher is but one example. On September 4.
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