Boris Tsukerman, a prominent Soviet Jewish activist, arrived here last night from Moscow on his way to Israel with his Christian wife and their children, Constantin, 16 and Annia, nine, The family was met at the airport by local representatives of the Jewish Agency. The Tsukermans left Moscow yesterday on an Aeroflot plane. About 50 Jews gathered at the airport to see them off. They departed just three days after receiving an exit visa promised them by Soviet authorities two weeks ago. Tsukerman, 32, a physicist, was one of a group of dissenters working under Prof. Andrei Sakharov. He was also a legal expert. Jewish sources said he had become a source of embarrassment to Soviet authorities because he was continually challenging repressive edicts in the Soviet courts and was advising other Jews and dissidents on effective ways of dealing with the authorities. He had been employed at a scientific institute in Moscow. His home was reportedly a center for “ivritniks”, the nick-name given Russian Jews who want to learn Hebrew.
Vitaly Svichinsky, another Jewish activist who was promised an exit visa at the same time as Tsukerman, has not left Russia although he was scheduled to depart on Jan. 23. According to Jewish sources, his visa was held up last week without explanation. According to reports from Moscow today. it was held up because of formalities following the birth of a child. It is not known when Svichinsky will leave.
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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.
