State Department sources said this afternoon that Mrs. Judy Silver Shapiro left Moscow for London by plane today after she was informed that she could not remain in the Soviet Union because her visa expired. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency was told by other sources that her husband of five days, Gavriel Shapiro, was arrested at Moscow Airport where he had gone to see her off. His whereabouts are presently unknown.
Shapiro, a leading Jewish activist, was reportedly seized as a draft dodger. He married Miss Silver, a social worker from Cincinnati, Ohio, last Thursday at a ceremony In his Moscow home performed by an American rabbi. The couple was denied a civil marriage by Soviet authorities. Mrs. Shapiro’s visa expired today. The JTA was informed that she told friends she was returning home to Cincinnati but her plans were not definitely known.
The office of Sen. Robert Taft Jr. (R. Ohio) informed the JTA this afternoon that nothing will be done on behalf of Mrs. Shapiro until the Senator returns to Washington tomorrow. The JTA was informed yesterday that Mrs. Shapiro’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Silver of Cincinnati. were promised by Sen. Taft that he would ask the White House to intervene to have their daughter’s visa extended so that she could remain with her husband.
Contacted by the JTA this morning, an aide to Sen. Taft said that several telegrams had arrived regarding the case but that no action was taken in the Senator’s absence. The aide said that his office had received no word from Mrs. Shapiro.
Informed sources told the JTA today that In-tourist, the Soviet tourist bureau, had advised Mrs. Shapiro that her visa could not be extended because no hotel rooms were available In Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev or Tbilisi. Other Soviet officials said that a marriage ceremony in accordance with Soviet law could not be arranged before her visa expired. According to Information received by the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry In New York yesterday, the couple visited the marriage bureau in Moscow and was told to return Aug, 30.
Shapiro, an officer in the Red Army Reserve who had completed his military service requirements, was called for induction last month on the eve of President Nixon’s arrival in Moscow. He and 14 other Jewish activists similarly called, hid out, Shapiro emerged from hiding for his wedding last Thursday.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
