A group of scientists, doctors and academicians from the Greater New York area demonstrated at Rockefeller University today to protest the treatment of Jewish scientists and intellectuals in the Soviet Union who seek to emigrate to Israel. The demonstration, sponsored by the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, was timed to coincide with the visit of Dr. M.V. Keldish, president of the Soviet Academy of Sciences who toured the university today.
While the demonstrators were not permitted inside to confront the Russian visitor directly, a spokesman for the Conference said the issue of the treatment of Jewish scientists in the USSR was definitely brought to the attention of Dr. Keldish by American scientists affiliated with Rockefeller University who accompanied him on his tour.
The demonstration was organized in response to an appeal for help from six Jewish scientists in the Soviet Union who were dismissed from their jobs and subjected to harassment since applying for exit visas. The six asked their American colleagues to bring their plight to the attention of Dr. Keldish who is presently touring scientific establishments in the US to expand and improve Soviet-American scientific relations.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
