Speech #990240621

It is the most recent of the three to which I would like to call attention today. Boris Goldfarb was 20 years old in 1985. when he married Elena Yatsina. a fellow student in Moscow. At that time his family had been refused emigration repeatedly and without explanation for 6 years. No sooner had the Goldfarbs requested a new Invitation from Israel to include Elena. so that the whole family could emigrate together. than they received permission to leave the U.S.S.R. without her. Attempts to submit new papers Including Elena were unsuccessful because her own parents would not give the required consent to the application. OVIR officials informed Boris that "a spouse cannot leave the country without a divorce." forcing Boris and Elena to divorce in order to preserve the Goldfarb familys chance to emigrate. The Goldfarbs exit permission was nonetheless canceled. and shortly after reapplying Boris received a military conscription notice. informing him that he would shortly be called for service. When the new emigration application was approved. again without Elena. the dilemma of whether to stay with Elena and their baby daughterwho was born the day after Boris received his draft noticeor to leave with the hope that Elena would soon be able to Join him. was complicated by the fact that military service would almost certainly result in subsequent. and perhaps permanent. revocation of his exit visa. Boris decided to emigrate with his family. Since the Goldfarbs departure in January 1986. Elena has suffered continual harassment and intimidation by Soviet authorities. Alone with a newborn baby. she has been threatened with eviction from the apartment which she legally occupies and with cancellation of her permit to reside in Moscow. If forced to return to her parents home. a thousand miles from Moscow. she will be isolated in a hostile community where application for an exit visa will be virtually impossible. Her husband fears that he will no longer be able to communicate directly with her. Mr.