Speech #990019628

Jews who struggle to maintain and carry on their cultural and religious heritage are denied educational and employment opportunities andin thousands of tragic casesimprisoned or forced into internal exile. Those who comprise this courageuus segment of Soviet society struggle daily for the basic human rights we in the United States take for granted. In the last year. as the Soviet Government has slowed emigration to a trickle. the plight of Soviet Jews has become even bleaker. The figures are becoming familiar to all of us. but they bear repeating: In 1979. 51.320 Jews were allowed to emigrate. in 1984 that figure plummetted to 896. the lowest level since 1970. It is estimated that some 350.000 Soviet Jews have received invitations from Israel to leave the Soviet Union and settle in a land where they would be welcome as citizens and free to practice their beliefs. We now face a situation in which almost all of those brave enough to apply for exit visas are refused and face an uncertain future of unemployment. KGB harassment. and false arrest. The persecution of these refuseniks has discouraged thousands of other Jews who leig to leave the Soviet Union from even expressing that desire. I recently joined 38 of my distinguished colleagues in signing a letter to Mr. Mikhail Gorbachcv. the new leader of the Soviet Union. urging him. at this crucial junction in SovietAmerican relations. to review his Governments current policy toward Soviet Jews and open once again the door of emigration. It is vital that Soviet leaders be made aware of our deep concern in this matter. not only because of the emigration problem. but also because of the steppedup suppression of Jewish cultural activities. According to a State Department report entitled "The Soviet Crackdown on Jewish Cultural Activities." in late July 1984. the Soviet authorities began a major. sustained crackdown on Hebrew teachers and other Jewish cultural activists. The report adds. "There can be no doubt that the campaign has been consciously directed by Soviet authorities to discredit the revival of Jewish culture In the Soviet Union." One victim of this kind is Igor Guberman. a rcfusenik whose case recently was brought to my attention. Mr. Guberman is a writer. the author of popular books and science articles for young people. and the former editor of the unofficial Jewish cultural journal. "Jews in the U.S.S.R." In December 1978 he applied for an exit visa and was contacted several months later by the KGB with an offer of a visa in return for spying activities and denunciation of fellow Jewish activists. Mr. Guberman refused to collaborate and was arrested shortly thereafter on false charges of selling icons. of which he had been a collector for many years.