— Joseph Shapira, head of the Jewish Agency’s Youth Aliya department, proposed today that Israel fight the dropout problem by withholding visas from Jews in those areas of the Soviet Union where the dropout rate is highest. In an interview on Israel Radio, Shapira noted that the dropout rate among Jews from Leningrad, Odessa, Kiev and Kharkov is almost 100 percent.
Dropouts are Jews who leave the USSR on Israeli visas but opt to settle in other countries, principally the United States, once they reach Vienna. Shapira conceded that his plan would have to be implemented collectively since it is never known in advance which individual Jews will drop out. However, he said, Israel should impose a ban on visas to Jews in the cities he mentioned and should take a firm stand against dropouts.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
