The long journey of former Soviet Jewish Prisoner of Conscience Lazar Liubarsky, from the provincial town of Beltsy in Moldavia, to Odessa and Moscow, four years in a Soviet prison camp and finally his long awaited visa to Israel in December, 1976 will be one of the topics he will discuss on his United States tour being sponsored by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ). “In 1970, I first applied to emigrate to Israel,” Liubarsky recalled upon his arrival in the United States several days ago, “but was refused an exit visa for two years.”
In 1972, he continued, “I was accused of ‘disseminating slanderous fabrications’ about Soviet life. The conviction based on my letters to Soviet authorities, complaining about the lack of Jewish cultural, religious and communal institutions, was followed by a four-year prison sentence, four years of my life in which my wife, family and friends around the world appealed on my behalf.”
Liubarsky’s trial was held behind closed doors, with all exits guarded by the local militia. The defense request for witnesses on his behalf was denied, and it became clear that he had been singled out for being one of the most prominent Jewish activists in the city of Rostov. Shortly after the four-year sentence had been confirmed by the court, Liubarsky shouted “Am Yisrael Chai” (The people of Israel live).
Recalling his four years imprisonment, Liubarsky said: “During the entire time, my morale was kept high by the knowledge that there were people abroad who knew and cared about my struggle. I would therefore urge people to continue writing to those Soviet Jews still imprisoned. The fact that one has friends who care and support him is of immense importance to those held in Soviet prisons.”
Among Liubarsky’s appearance will be an address at the national Solidarity Sunday program scheduled for June 12 in Washington. The event, at Constitution Hall, is being co-sponsored by the NCSJ and the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington. Liubarsky’s U.S. tour is being coordinated with the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council.
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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.
