Yuri Bilevsky, a violinist with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, lost his job because he demanded the right to emigrate to Israel, Jerusalem radio reported today. The report did not state the source of the information. It claimed that Bilevsky protested to Soviet Premier Alexsei Kosygin over the denial of an exit permit. Other sources reported today that Mikhail Alexandrovitz, a singer and cantor in Moscow, had his High Holiday appearance cancelled because of his request for emigration. Alexandrovitz reportedly wrote letters of protest to the Soviet dailies Pravda and Izvestia in which he stated that he would not be deterred from going to Israel. The letters were not published.
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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.