Russian Emigre Says Hebrew Taught at Institutions of Higher Learning in USSR

The Hebrew language is taught at the University of Moscow and other institutions of higher learning in the Soviet Union but is unavailable to students at lower levels except from private tutors. Hebrew books from Israel arrive by normal mail without interference, yet books from Israel have been confiscated from the homes of some Russian Jews. The paradoxical situation was reported in Jerusalem by Anatol Dakatov, a Jewish emigre from the USSR and an engineer by profession, who conducted a Hebrew class in Moscow before he left for Israel earlier this year. Dekatov addressed a meeting of the world executive of the Brit Ivrit Olamit (World Hebrew Union) on the status of Hebrew in the Soviet Union. His report was made available to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency through a member of the executive in London. Dekatov said that while he experienced no difficulties and was able to advertise his Hebrew course in Soviet newspapers, the friend to whom he turned over his class when he left Russia has been harassed, jailed and investigated by Soviet authorities. Dekatov said he learned Hebrew in Russia. “When I opened my Hebrew classes, a kind of ulpan in the middle of Moscow, I committed no crime under Soviet law,” he said. “I started with four pupils. People hesitated at the beginning, but after a time I began to supplement word-of-mouth promotion for my school with newspaper advertising and bill posting.” Dekatov said when he went to place his first advertisement in a Moscow newspaper “They asked me, what is Hebrew. They said they never heard of it. When I pointed out that I was fully entitled to teach an ancient language, they accepted the advertisement.” Dekatov said another paper flatly refused. It turned out that its editor was a Jew.