S. L. Shneiderman, a New York Yiddish writer, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here today that the editor of a Soviet literary publication had given him assurances he would intervene with Soviet authorities to allow Mrs. Esther Markish, widow of the murdered poet Peretz Markish, and her son, David, to emigrate to Israel.
Shneiderman, who is making a visit to London after representing the Yiddish PEN Center of New York at the 38th International PEN Congress in Dublin, said he had had several conversations with Nikolai Federenko, editor of “Foreign Literature” who headed a group of Soviet observers to the Congress. The New Yorker said he had received the promise from Federenko during those conversations.
He also reported that efforts had been made at the Congress for the Markishes, who have been denied permission to emigrate. Peretz Markish was one of the 24 Jewish intellectuals executed on Aug. 12, 1952, on Stalin’s orders. He said the Israeli PEN Center and the New York branch appealed jointly for the Markishes and that David Carver, the PEN international secretary, made an appeal during the Congress to the Soviet government to allow the Markishes to emigrate.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
