Behind the Headlines the Tragic Odyssey of Julius Krylsky

The odyssey of Julius Krylsky continued today in New York City as the 71-year-old engineer, formerly of the Soviet Union, sought to publicize the tragic story of his son. Jan aged 21, incarcerated for more than a year in a Soviet mental institution. Krylsky, allowed to emigrate to Israel in Nov 1972, prior to the United States presidential election, hopes to use his new mobility and freedom to work for his son’s release. Mrs. Krylsky, also granted a visa to emigrate, chose to remain behind in hopes of helping her son.

According to Krylsky, Jan was brought to trial in Oct., 1971, for fighting with a drunk who had insulted him with anti-Semitic remarks. Although acquitted when the real offender admitted to the court his guilt in starting the incident, the case was reopened in Jan. 1972 after the Krylsky family applied for permission to emigrate to Israel.

After the second trial, in which Jan was declared guilty, Julius Krylsky was told that his son would either be given ten years in a labor camp, or would be institutionalized as a “schizophrenic” for his “militant Zionism.” The family chose the institution believing that Jan would soon be released. A year has already passed.

HARASSED AS A SCHOOLBOY

The tragedy of Jan Krylsky had its beginning “nine years ago in a Moscow suburb,” said Kryle sky who talked of the “anti-Semitic incidents which occurred daily” to young Jan on his way to school. The only Jewish boy in his neighborhood, Jan was continually stopped and robbed of his breakfast money or his school bag and forced to suffer other indignities. His “extreme dislike for and unhappiness” with the USSR began during these difficult days.

He was an intelligent child, particularly competent in the humanities and in mathematics. But his treatment at the hands of his peers and what he felt was “Russia’s tolerance of such attitudes” resulted in expressions of dissatisfaction with Russia. As a result, he was held back for three years by the school’s director as a punishment, in an attempt to “re-educate” him and “encourage him to change his anti-Soviet philosophy.” Complaints lodged by his father brought no change in Jan’s punishment.

THOUGHT JEWS MUST BE BAD

Initially Jan’s anti-Russian attitudes were coupled with extremely negative feelings about his own Jewishness. “After all,” said Mr. Krylsky, “he felt that Jews must be something very bad for him to suffer as he did.” But in time, his thoughts turned more and more to Israel and his Jewishness. “I talked to him of Jewish heroes and explained to him the history of our people,” said Mr. Krylsky. During the Six-Day War, Jan became “a true Zionist,” and from that time on he “was very outspoken with regard to Jews and Israel.”

Tormented by his peers and punished for his justifiably angry responses, Jan dropped out of school. Rather than re-educating Jan, the punishment only served to make the youth more strong-willed and “full of determination to express his Jewishness and to defend it at all costs.” And the cost has been great, his father said.

HELP FROM U.S. CONGRESSMEN SOUGHT

The most recent word on Jan’s condition was received two weeks ago from Mrs. Krylsky during a phone conversation. The report was not encouraging. According to Mrs. Krylsky, Jan “is kept in a ward for the criminally insane.” He has been given “injections which leave him delirious and has been tied to his bed for the last three months.” The couple is without hope and afraid that time is running out for their son. “I never used to cry,” said Mr. Krylsky, “even during those years that I myself spent in prison; but now I cry for my son and what will become of him.”

Mr. Krylsky has already seen Reps. Mario Biaggi and Jonathan Bingham of New York; Robert F. Drinan of Massachusetts and Sen. Jacob K. Javits of New York, Mayor Lindsay and representatives of the American Red Cross and Amnesty International. The odyssey continues, with Mr. Krylsky leaving tomorrow for London. Tired and old, a father reaches out with his hands and his heart to the conscience of the world in behalf of his son.