American Jews Cautiously Optimistic That Change in Soviet Leadership Will Bring Improvement for Sovi

A mood best described as cautious optimism prevailed here today among officials involved with Soviet Jewish affairs as they speculated on the effect the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, will have on Soviet policy toward its Jewish community.

Gorbachev was named yesterday to succeed President Konstantin Chernenko who died Sunday evening from heart failure following deterioration of his lungs and liver at the age 73. He held power, succeeding Yuri Andropov, for just 13 months, most of that time in ill health.

The 54-year-old Gorbachev, representing a younger generation in Soviet leadership ranks, was elected General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, the country’s most powerful political position at a session of the Central Committee.

Clearly the analysts suggested in interviews with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that it remained too early to determine the trend of the new government toward dealing with Soviet Jewish citizens, particularly on issues regarding cultural and religious freedoms and emigration.

GORBACHEV SEEKS DETENTE

At the same time, these same analysts suggested that Gorbachev’s past overtures to the West, including visits to Britain and Canada, and his call yesterday for economic reforms and a return to the policy of detente, may result in an easing of the plight of Soviet Jews.

Soviet Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union descended to its lowest levels in 1984, with only 896 Jews allowed to leave the USSR. This is a drastic reduction from the more than 50,000 who were permitted to emigrate in 1979 while Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev was in power.

Along with the decrease in emigration, Soviet Jews suffered under the Presidents Chernenko and Andropov a serious increase in harassment and persecution. There appears to have been a stepped up effort to suppress Jewish cultural and religious teachings in the Soviet Union, with sweeping arrests being made in recent months of unofficial teachers of Hebrew.

GORBACHEV’S ATTITUDE LITTLE KNOWN

According to William Korey, director of international policy research for B’nai B’rith International, little is known in the public domain of Gorbachev’s attitude with regard to Soviet Jewish emigration and religious and cultural freedom. “There is no record of this kind on Gorbachev,” Korey said.

However, it was widely reported that Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, raised with Gorbachev last December the situation of Soviet Jews and Soviet dissidents. Gorbachev, according to reports, told Thatcher he had nothing new to say on the matter and referred her to Soviet legislation.

On the same visit to Britain, Norman St. John-Stevas, a Conservative member of Parliament, questioned him on religious freedom. Gorbachev was reported to have answered, “You govern your society; you leave us to govern ours.”

In citing “positive” aspects of Gorbachev’s ascent to power, Korey asserted that his talk of a return to detente along with a perception of Gorbachev as a strong and vigorous leader may prove helpful for Soviet Jews.

Furthermore, the B’nai B’rith official suggested that as an advocate of detente and his stated position of seeking economic reforms, there appears the need for the Soviets to engage with the West in negotiations for new technology. This, Korey said, would increase the West’s bargaining position to seek an easing of the human rights situation in the Soviet Union.

“At this early stage of the game, it is terribly important for the West, to the extent that Gorbachev is an advocate of negotiations, to see to it that the issue of Soviet Jewry and human rights is up front and on the agenda” at all trade and arms negotiations, Korey said.

MORE FREEDOM THAN PREDECESSORS

Jerry Goodman, executive director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, also hinted that Gorbachev’s overtures to the West may help ease human rights in the Soviet Union. But Goodman suggested that Gorbachev will have more freedom to develop his own policies within the Soviet Union whereas Chernenko was “locked into” the policies of his predecessor, Andropov.

“Gorbachev,” Goodman said, “is freer than Chernenko to make a change of policy with regard to Jews, especially with regard to emigration. While I don’t think it will happen overnight, we should watch cautiously for (policy) shifts in the months ahead.” Nonetheless, Goodman urged a continuation of public demonstrations on behalf of Soviet Jewry.

The Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, meanwhile, held a demonstration Monday morning outside the Soviet Mission to the United Nations here. The 24 demonstrators, the number allowed to emonstrate on the block between Lexington and Third Avenue on 67th Street, urged the new Soviet leadership to seize the opportunity and “prove your good will and good intentions” by easing the human rights situation of Soviet Jews.

BRONFMAN VISIT STILL ON

The World Jewish Congress informed the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that the visit to the Soviet Union by Edgar Bronfman, WJC president and head of Seagram and Sons, Inc., would not be affected by Chernenko’s death. Bronfman announced he would “raise the Soviet Jewry issue in all respects” when he visits the Soviet Union. No date has been set for Bronfman’s visit.

Israel Singer, WJC executive director, today provided a “wait and see attitude” regarding the future of Soviet Jewry and its relationship to the change in leadership in the Kremlin. He, too, stressed the need to watch for “signals” of any change in current policy toward Soviet Jewish activities and emigration.

Singer cautioned however that the Soviet Union remains a place where change is gradual, and Gorbachev will need months, or perhaps longer before he can consolidate power to implement any change regarding the plight of Soviet Jewry.

Moveover, Gorbachev has visited the West and has been made aware of the West’s concern for human rights and the Soviet Jewish problem, said Singer, adding, “He would be well advised to take it off the list of problems.”