President. Yakov Mesh is a free man today. living with his family here in the United States. The Mesh family has been trying to leave the Soviet Union since 1977 when 20 of Yakov and Marinas relatives were allowed to emigrate. While Yakov was held back at the time. Soviet officials assured Yakovs mother. Rosa. that Yakov and his family would be allowed to join them shortly. But days turned into months and months turned into years and the Soviets were unrelenting in their refusal to consider issuing him and his family visas. The reason the Soviets gave for not allowing him to emigrate is that he served in the Soviet military and there acquired a knowledge of military secrets. While it is true that Yakov did serve in the military. he was attached to the sports section as a boxerhardly a position from which one would expect exposure to essential military secrets. I believe that the real reasons for not allowing the Meshes to emigrate probably had more to do with their proJewish activities in the Soviet Union. They participated in activities such as hunger strikes. and organized seminars and meetings on Jewish culture. history and languages. Because of these activities the Meshes were repeatedly harassed. intimidated. detained and even arrested.
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emigrate visas