Mr. President. because the condition of Soviet Jewry today continues to deteriorate. In 1979. some 51.000 Soviet Jews were allowed to emigrate from the U.S.S.R. By 1982. when I traveled to the Soviet Union to meet with refuseniks in Moscow and Kiev and to press the Soviet authorities on their emigration policies. the number of Jews allowed to leave was down to less than 3.000. In 1984. when I applied for a visa to take this matter up again with Soviet authorities. the number of Jewish emigrants totaled fewer than 900. Tellingly. my request for a visa in 1984 was denied. Moreover. the reduction in emigration witnessed in 1984 has coincided with a severe crackdown on Soviet Jews who seek to preserve their heritage by teaching the Hebrew language and Jewish history. Recent Jailings of a number of Jewish educators. including Yuli Edelshtein. Yakov Levy.
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