Ncsj Appeals for Worldwide Intercession on Behalf of Prof, Lerner and Family Soviet Rejects Emigrati

The National Conference on Soviet Jewry appealed today for worldwide intercession on behalf of Prof. Alexander Lerner of Moscow, a leading computer expert, and his family who have been repeatedly denied visas to emigrate to Israel and have been harassed by Soviet authorities because of their desire to emigrate. According to Richard Maass, Conference chairman, “Prof, Lerner’s case is a flagrant example of how the Soviet Union treats a Jew who wants to emigrate to Israel.”

In this instance, Maass stated. Prof. Lerner “is so widely known and respected that friends and colleagues all over the Soviet Union have started a protest movement in which senior colleagues in the West have joined. We now ask that concerted efforts be made in the United States on Prof. Lerner’s behalf to spur the Soviet authorities to stop their harassment of him and his family.”

CHILDREN MADE TO SUFFER

Maass noted that Prof. Lerner was a highly regarded scientist in the Soviet Union until he applied for an exit visa last Sept. “Since then he has been dismissed from his high ranking positions as Professor of Technical Sciences at the Institute of Control Problems in Moscow and at the Scientific and Technical University of Moscow and he has been barred from teaching. He was also expelled from the Communist Party of which he had been a long time member,” Maass said.

He added that Lerner’s 26-year-old son. Vladimir, and his 21-year-old daughter, Sonya, have also applied for emigration and “have been made to suffer with their father.” Vladimir Lerner was ousted last month from the Institute of Fundamental Control Problems. Sonya Lerner entered Moscow University’s mathematics department at the age of 15. Upon graduation at the age of 20 she received a gold medal for brilliance. Last month she married Boris Levin who also applied for emigration.