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Two More Jews Sentenced to Death in Russia for ‘economic Crimes’

July 23, 1962
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Two more Jews have been sentenced to death in the Soviet Union after conviction of “economic crimes,” according to an announcement in Izvestia, organ of the Soviet Government, received here from Moscow today.

The Jews are L.Y. Feldsher, director of a knitwear factory in the Kirghiz Republic, Central Asia; and M.A. Goldman, manager of the knitwear department of another factory in the same area. The trial, at which these Jews were convicted, took place in the criminal court of Frunze, capital of Kirghizia. Izvestia stated that 50 persons were tried in proceedings that lasted four months, and resulted in death sentences for four of the accused, including Feldsher and Goldman. Others were given long prison sentences.

Observers here, specializing in analysis of Soviet affairs, pointed out that, as often in the past two years, the death sentences for Jews were given prominence by emphasis of their “Jewish” names and by the fact that, as in this case, at least half of those sentenced to death were obviously Jewish.

(In Washington, this weekend, Sen. Kenneth B. Keating demanded that the State Department instruct the newly-named U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Foy D. Kohler, to “exert all his influence” to reduce anti-Semitism in the U.S.S.R. Sen. Keating charged the State Department has done “almost nothing” to protest against anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union.)

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