At least 20 Soviet Jews were arrested when they tried to attend memorial services at Jewish mass graves on Sunday, it was reported today by Richard Maass, chairman of the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry. He said 10 Jews were arrested near Kiev after they resisted attempts by the police to prevent them from going to Babi Yar. They had cabled President Nikolai V. Podgorny in advance of their pilgrimage, adding that they wanted to go to Israel. Also arrested were 10 Jews of a group of 30 from Wilna who wanted to go to Ponar. When they were stopped by the police, Maass said, they sat down and prayed. The 20 not arrested were dispersed, but later regathered for a silent demonstration. In Riga, said Maass, there was a similar incident, but no details were available. In Moscow, another group of Jews distributed an open letter demanding freedom of emigration.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
