Another Soviet Jewish activist–the 11th in recent days–has been called to active duty in the Soviet Army Reserves, reputedly to remove him from Moscow during President Nixon’s visit later this month. The new draftee, Leonid Yoffe, was called up for two years, compared with two months for the other 10 activists, according to the National Conference on Soviet Jewry.
Yoffe is a 28-year-old mathematician-poet who has been teaching Hebrew to activist leaders. He is described by fellow activists as “an important part of the movement.” The NCSJ also reported that an earlier draftee, Mikhail Kliachkin, was dragged out of bed early yesterday morning, taken for a medical examination and ordered to report Thursday for active duty. He reportedly said he would “never go of my own volition.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.