Dulzin Says 10,000 Soviet Jews Came to Israel Between March 1 and Nov, 30

Leon Dulzin, Treasurer of the Jewish Agency, disclosed to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that 10,000 Russian Jews have entered Israel during the nine month period March 1-Nov, 30, 1971. The figure was the first mentioned by any Israeli with official status. The Israeli government has heretofore refused to disclose the number of Jewish immigrants arriving from the Soviet Union. Dulzin, who came to the US to address the plenary session of the United Jewish Appeal here next Friday, said “We must be prepared for even greater immigration in 1972.”

He denied that any large numbers of recent Russian Jewish emigres want to leave Israel. “This year we have absorbed 3,000 from Georgia (The Soviet Georgian Republic) and of this number only 10 families wish to return,” he said. “This is less than the normal return of immigrants from elsewhere throughout the world. It certainly is not the horrendous stories that have received so much publicity in the press in the last few weeks.” Dulzin remarked. He told the JTA that the UJA 1972 campaign is one of the most significant in the UJA’s quarter century history. Dulzin will present the UJA with the Jewish Agency’s budget for fiscal 1972 amounting to $675 million of which $450 million must be raised in this country. He said that even the 30 percent UJA increase of 1970 must be surpassed in the coming year.