The National Conference on Soviet Jewry has learned that Leonid Slepak has refused induction into the Soviet army, thereby risking a prison sentence. At the same time, it was learned that Leonid’s older brother, Aleksander, has received permission to immigrate to Israel. The family including the boys’ father and mother first applied to leave the USSR in 1969. Leonid Slepak, in refusing induction, said that he had filed a written protest to the Soviet Defense Minister saying that he is in actuality an Israeli citizen and considers Israel his homeland.
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.