Newsletter Reports on Plight, Arrests of Soviet Jews; Authoritative Sources Quoted

The Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington is publishing and distributing a newsletter, “Undercover,” containing reports about Jews in the Soviet Union. A statement on the front page says: “The following news items, relating to Russian Jewry, are drawn from the most authoritative sources inside the Soviet Union whose identity cannot be revealed for obvious reasons. This material, distributed as received, is being given a limited circulation but may be used freely for publication purposes.” Thus far, two newsletters have been issued, on March 31 and April 2. Dr. Isaac Franck, executive vice-president of the Council and editor of the publication, said that a newsletter will be published whenever sufficient information for two pages is received. “This happened very quickly,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “We are working with other people regarding distribution.”

The current issue reports the arrest of 39 of 111 Jews who sought to petition the Supreme Soviet to release Jews imprisoned since June, 1970, and not yet brought to trial. The 39 have been charged with “hooliganism.” “Two of those arrested, Yuri Titlov and Lena Stoeva, were immediately committed to a mental institution” according to Undercover.” “A few, mostly women, were given fines and allowed to go free. Most of the men were given sentences with hard labor from 10 to 15 days, among them an ailing man of 60, Rosenblum, who is a psychiatrist by profession. They are serving their sentences at the police jail located at 10 Kooperativnaya Street, Moscow. Four of the men, Slepak, Polski, Rand and Prestin, were separated from the rest and their whereabouts are unknown.”