Speaker. Sunday. May 5. marks the 14th annual commemoration of Solidarity Sunday for Soviet Jews. a day in which people around the world express their support and admiration for those individuals involved in the continuing struggle for the right to emigrate from the Soviet Union. be It for themselves. for their families. or simply for a fellow Jew. Today. I join my colleagues in an attempt to focus attention on the plight of these individuals in the hope that with the consideration that attention will bring. also will come a change. In the 2 years the Soviet Union has twice experienced a change in leadership. from Yuriy Andropov to Constantin Chernenko. and recently to Mikhail Gorbachev. I am certain that I was not alone in my hope that with each successive new leader would come a change in emigration policies. possibly a lessening of restrictions. However. with both Mr. Andropov and Mr. Chernenko. emigration statistics pertaining to Jews remained ominous. indeed dismal at best. In fact. under the influence of Mr. Chernenko. Jewish emigration ebbed to a low of 896 in 1984. Still. with the foreboding that this figure represents. Soviet Jews continue their efforts to obtain basic human rights and emigration privileges for those who have been castigated as refuseniks. This Sunday. let us each pause to remember these brave individuals in our thoughts and prayers. let us hope that they will soon be free. and let us continue with our efforts to realize these Intentions.*
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration