The Helsinki agreement. signed by the Soviet Union. states that. "Everyone has a right to leave any country. including his own." The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. also signed by Moscow. affirms the right to all. "To leave any country including his own and to return to his country." Yet. if these rights are invoked by Soviet citizens. they face certain harassment and punishment. Anatoly Shcharanskys story may be better known than most. but his story is certainly not unique. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews are currently being denied the right to emigrate to Israel and the right to practice their religion and culture within the Soviet Union. We can only imagine how many Soviet Jews are currently serving sentences for "parasitism" or "hooliganism" or have been fired from their jobs for applying for exit visas. Despite the welcome release of Anatoly Shcharansky. Jewish emigration is still only a trickle. But our rededication can change this. British historian Martin Gilbert. in his book "The Jews of Hope." relays the desperate plea of a Soviet to the West: I cannot forget the words spoken by a young Leningrad Jew when the moment came to say goodbye for the last time.
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emigrate emigration visas