A detail of the KGB, the Soviet secret police, blocked the path of more than 100 Jews who went yesterday to the mass graves of Nazi victims at Ponary near Wilna to place wreaths and recite prayers. The Jews walked in silence around the KGB cordon to reach the gravesite. Two were arrested and later released, according to a report reaching here today from Jewish sources in the Soviet Union.
The Jews arrested were identified as Hannoch Shapiro and Aviva Kleinieta. They were released but ordered to report today to the police for possible criminal charges. The sources said they had done nothing to warrant arrest.
Jewish sources in the USSR today reported the names of five of the seven Jews arrested following a memorial meeting at Babi Yar near Kiev on April 11, The arrests were made on charges of resisting authorities after police had dispersed the crowd. Those taken into custody were: Lazar Slutsky, Isak Margulin, Semion Naivelt, Leonid Fingerman, and Simon Kipnis. Two others, unidentified, were given 15-day jail terms. Kipnis’ wife was fined 15 rubles ($12.65).
Jewish sources also reported today that the lay leader of the Moscow Jewish Community, surnamed Rozin, was dismissed from his post by Soviet authorities because an unauthorized memorial meeting was held at the Moscow synagogue. Rozin was appointed by the authorities following the death of the former lay leader, surnamed Mikhalovitch.
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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.
