British Jews have received no confirmation that the education tax on Soviet Jewish emigrants has been rescinded or will not continue to be applied in practice, according to Lord Janner of Leicester. Addressing a meeting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Lord Janner said that there has been no known improvement in the position of Soviet Jews who apply for exit visas for Israel and they are still being harassed. Lord Janner was referring to recent reports from Moscow that Soviet authorities had suspended the diploma tax demanded of educated Jews seeking to emigrate.
(In New York, the National Conference on Soviet Jewry quoted Jewish sources in Moscow as saying there had been no significant changes in Soviet emigration policy. The NCSJ said there were indications of a new wave of trials for alleged “parasitism.” Fifteen families who had applied for exit visas were reportedly rejected on the same day that reports emanated from Moscow of a relaxation of emigration.
The Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry said today that it had learned in a telephone conversation with Jews in Kiev that successful applicants for exit visas were being informed by the ovir (visa bureau) that they were “exceptions.” Three Kiev activists were refused visas during the past few days and were told they could not reapply for a year. The Kiev Jews said that eight activists in Leningrad were also refused visas, the SSSJ reported.)
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