Speaker. 1984 was a bleak year for Soviet Jewry. a year dominated by harassment and a new wave of arrest and persecution. In addition the Soviet Union has effectively closed the gate to Jews desiring to leave the country. We have all seen the numbers. 896 Jews allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Union in 1984. a number that stands in stark and distressing contrast to the more than 51.000 Soviet Jews granted the freedom to worship the god of their choice Just 5 years ago. According to Soviet authorities. all Jews who wanted to leave the U.S.S.R. have already done so. This is not the case. According to the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. it is estimated that more than 350.000 Soviet citizens desiring to emigrate are still stranded within their homes. Jews categorized as refuseniks are increasingly treated as outcasts by Soviet society. Often separated from their families and from Israel. they have been forced to wait indefinitely for permission to leave with no assurance that they will ever receive it.
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