According to information received from Moscow, the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry learned that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D.Mass.). who is ending a visit in the USSR, met last night for more than an hour with a group of 11 Soviet Jewish activists.
The meeting was held at the home of Prof Alexander Lerner, and included Prof. Benjamin Levich, Vladimir Slepak and Victor Polsky. They told Kennedy that true detente was not possible without free emigration from the USSR.
They said the Senator had promised them maximum help in their struggle for exit visas to Israel. The meeting at the home of Prof Lerner apparently was held at Kennedy’s request. He confirmed he had met with the activists but declined to discuss details. He said he would report on the conversations when he returned to the United States.
The activists told Western newsmen who came to the apartment that they had told Kennedy about their problems. They said Kennedy told them he had appealed to Soviet leaders to make a “magnanimous gesture” on emigration which would meet a response from the United States. Prof. Lerner said Kennedy had been urged to make certain adequate safeguards were included in any compromise by Congress on the emigration issue.
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