Jewish sources in the Soviet Union report that applicants for exit visas at Czernovich have encountered a new type of difficulty–the Soviet version of “Catch-22.” They are asked by the local ovir to submit their university diplomas but when they try to get a certified copy from a notary public, they are told that a copy can not be made unless they declared a reason for wanting a copy. When they say that they want a copy in order to take it with them to Israel, they are told that they can not have a copy unless they produce their exit visa. One of the victims of this “Catch-22” situation could not even have a copy made in Moscow. But a notary public in Leningrad did make a copy.
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.
