Last month. Shcharansky was honored at the Capitol rotunda and recalled efforts of Soviet officials "to convince me that I am alone. but I knew that I was not alone. that my wife. my people. you all were with me. They were trying their best to find me a place where I would be isolated. but all the resources of a superpower are not enough to isolate a man who hears the voice of freedom. to isolate a Jew who hears the voice of solidarity with his people * * *." Shcharansky continued. "I am not going to forget those who I left in the camps. in the prisons. who are still in exile or who still continue their struggle for their right to emigrate for their human rights." The release of Anotoly Shcharansky has been a great feat. but he reminds us that there are still 400.000 Jews in the Soviet Union wishing to leave. Many of them have started the emigration procedure by asking for invitations from their families abroad. This is often the beginning of Soviet harassment. There are 15.000 Soviet citizens who have applied for exit visas and been turned down. Emigration of Soviet Jews has steadily declined since the peak in 1979. when 51.320 were allowed to leave the country. and the total this year has only been a meager 216the lowest emigration level in 8 months. There is no pattern of events in the emigration process. The unstated. unofficial requirements for emigration are subject to change without warning. and an emigrant does not know whether he will be allowed to leave after 1 year. 15 years. or ever. This obviously makes the hardship deeper and the process more unpredictable. but Anatoly is evidence that it is possible. I call for my colleagues who have joined in the Call to Conscience to make others aware of the plight of Soviet Jews.
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