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5000 Leningrad Jews Ready to Emigrate, Underground Source Reports

July 19, 1971
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At least 5000 of the 300,000 strong Jewish community of Leningrad are ready to emigrate to Israel, if they can get visas, it was learned here today. The information came from members of the Cinovya Izraeli–“The Songs of Israel Underground Organization.” They reported, according to the sources, that no fresh arrests have been made lately and there has been little harassment. “but some of us are afraid it will come.” One of the informants expressed the belief that Soviet authorities may have realized that a policy of persecution is “self-defeating.”

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