Panovs' Departure to Be Culmination of 2-Year Battle, Artists' Support

VALERY AND GALINA PANOV

Despite the illness of his
three-months pregnant wife,
his own s u d d e n illness
and the problem of obtaining
enough cash to cover exit
fees a n d airline tickets,
Soviet Jewish dancer Valery
Panov is on the verge of
leaving the USSR after a
wait of two years.
He and his wife Galina
are hoping to leave Russia
Sunday morning. They were
unprepared for the sudden an-
nouncement by Russian of-
ficials last weekend that they
had permission to leave for
Israel. One problem that ap-
parently was solved, was how
to obtain $2,680 for exit visas
and "repair of the couple's
apartment.
Panov, who was fired as
lead dancer of the Kirov Bal-
let after filing for exit visas,
recently had received per-
mission to leave without her,
and officials had insisted they
would never be allowed to go.
They were notified of the
change last Saturday.
Doctors have told Mrs.
Panov that there is danger
of a miscarriage, but still in-
sisted on leaving a clinic in
Vilnius, Lithuania, to join
her husband. Panov himself
had been hospitalized recent-
ly for a case of "food poi-
soning."
Why permission suddenly
was granted is not known,
but observers suggested that
a protest by British Minister
Harold Wilson and leading
artists throughout the world
may have had its effect. The
forthcoming trip by President
Nixon also may have figured
in the decision, they said. The
Panov case, a cause celebre,
would have been a source of
embarrassment __when "Mr.
Nixon is in MOscow.
Meanwhile, in London, the
all-party Parliamentary Corn-
mittee for the Release of
Soviet Jewry sent a telegram
to the Bolshoi Ballet which
stressed that those who per-
secute Jews bring their coun-
tries into disrepute.
The telegram noted that the
Panovs are only two people,
but "more than 100,000 Jews
are awaiting visas. Though
the others are n o t fine
dancers like the Panovs or
yourselves, they are still en-
titled to leap where they
will." The telegram was
signed by committee chair-

48 Friday, June 14, 1974

—

man Hugh Dykes and its
honorary secretary, Greville
Janner. •
The Board of Deputies of
British Jews said that it dis-
sociated itself from any
action to disrupt the perform-
ances of the Bolshoi Ballet
which opened at the Coli-
seum Theater here Wednes-
day night.
Abraham Marks, t h e
board's secretary, said "The
board's policy is directed to
strictly peaceful and legal
methods of protest which
will continue until every Jew
who wished to leave the
Soviet Union is able to do so
without persecution."
In a hastily called press
conference Wednesday
morning. the women's cam-
paign for Soviet Jewry an-
nounced they would not dis-
runt any performances of the.
ballet "because of the British
people's concern and the un-
questionable influence they
had in the release of the
Panovs."
The committee said this
was a gesture of "thanks to
British artists_ and freedom-
loving audiences." but it did
not mean that their demon-
strations or any other form
of protest would be sus-
pended.
About 50 members of the
Women's Campaign demon-
strated Sunday night outside
the hotel where the Bolshoi
Ballet troupe is staying.
• A petition with thousands
of signatures demanding a
ban on the Bolshoi was
brought to the Coliseum by
actress Diana Rigg. A spokes-
man for another group the
"Stop the Bolshoi Committee"
said it would do "everything
we can to bring the ballet to
a halt. Our disruptive action
will continue whatever the
cost during the six-day tour
of Britain. They will wish
they had never set foot in
Britain by the time we have
done with them."
Nixon AdminiStratione Seeks
Jewish Emigration Solution
Before Moscow Summit Trip
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Im-
portant developments have
taken place to resolve the
issue of Jewish emigration
from the Soviet Union by the
time President Nixon visits
Moscow for his third summit
conference with Soviet lead-
ers beginning June 27.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The apparent hope is that
Mr. Nixon will be able to
return from the Russian capi-
tal with a solution acceptable
to supporters of Jackson/
Mills-Vanik legislation that
will not adversely effect
U.S.-Soviet trade or detente.
The p a t t e r n began to
emerge with Mr. Nixon's
Annapolis speech last Wed-
nesday in which he scored
the Jackson Amendment, an
obvious diplomatic blandish-
ment preparatory to his Mos-
cow visit; his subsequent
meeting with Jewish leaders
.at the White House in which,
according to the participants,
he "reaffirmed the continued
concern of his administra-
tion" for Soviet Jews; and
Secretary of State Henry A.
Kissinger's appearance be-
fore the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee last Fri-
day in which he confirmed
that Jewish emigration from
the USSR has declined at
least 25 per cent so far this
year compared to a year ago.
Paralleling these develop-
ments were reports that the
Nixon administration is try-
ing to work out a compr-o-
mise with supporters of the
Jackson Amendment that
would make U.S. trade bene-
fits to the Soviet Union con-
tingent on the easing of
Moscow's emigration poli-
cies.
Kissinger told the Foreign
Relations Committee that
Jewish departures from the
USSR in May were the low-
est of any recent month and
suggested that part of the
reason might be Soviet re-
action to congressional pres-
sure on behalf of the Jack-
son/ Mills-Vanik ,bills.
He conceded that other fac-
tors mentioned by some sen-
ators could be responsible
for the decline, such as fewer
visa applicants- and increased
Soviet pressure on those who
apply. But he added that
continued congressional pres-
sure to tie improved trade
conditions to liberalized emi-
gration policies might be a
reason.
In Geneva, the Intergov-
ernmental Committee on Eur-
opean Migration reported
that Jewish emigration from
the Soviet Union to Israel
for the first five months of
1974 was one-third behind
that of a year earlier--8,473
this year compared with 11,-
320 in 1973. There was a near-
ly 50 per cent drop in May
alone, it said.
A round-the-clock 10-day
hunger strike will be started
opposite the Soviet Embassy
here Monday and will con-
tinue until President Nixon's
departure for Moscow.
The Washington Committee
for Soviet Jewry which is
sponsoring the demonstration,
said it will be held in con-
nection with a hunger strike
during the same period 'by
the brothers Isai and Greg-
ory Gold-stein of Tiblisi in
Soviet Georgia on behalf of
Soviet Jewry.
Israeli relatives of Jewish
prisoners in the Soviet Union
want to hold a meeting with
President Nixon to ask him
to do something when he
visits Moscow to free their
relatives.
The Israeli relatives of the
prisoners—mostly new im-
migrants from the USSR—
sent letters to President

Ephraim Katzir, Premier
Agursky said he was told
Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign on May 25, when he was in-
Minister Yiga• Allon in which terrogated six hours - without
they criticize those who a stop by a KGB official in a
claim that the conditions of police station, that he could
Jews in the Soviet Union are emigrate because his former
an internal Soviet problem. secret job was a 4-`trifle."
In the letter, they said that
Previously, he said, he
soon it will be four years
since their relatives were im- had been told he was a "dan-
person" because "of
prisoned for wanting to go to gerous
my profound knowledge of
Israel.
the Soviet Union and because
A delegation of eminent of the great quantity of my
scientists, including eight acquaintances." Agursky has
Nobel Laureates will attempt sent letters and articles to
to go to the White House to the Western media.
meet with President Nixon --
Agursky, who has been out
and Kissinger in the hopes of
having the government inter- of work since he applied to
vene on behalf of Soviet emigrate to Israel two years
ago, said he would stop his
Jewish scientists.
' only when Soviet
Mrs. Ruth Levine, spokes- criticism
foreign
policy
changes and
woman for the International
Board of Sponsors of a Sci- that he then would try to
Soviet-Israeli friend-
entific Seminar to be held in promote
ship.
Moscow, issued a statement
Jewish sources in Moscow
from the committee and the
international board decrying reported that Viktor Fain-
the Soviet authorities' at- berg, the art critic who was
tempt to quash scientific ex- confined to a mental hospital
for five years after demon-
change.
The Scientific Sem in a r strating against the Soviet-
which was organized a year led invasion of Czechoslo-
ago, will coincide with Presi- vakia in 1968, will be able to
dent Nixon's visit to Moscow immigrate to Israel. They
said that officials had told
at the end of June.
With the President's forth- Fainberg to leave the coun-
coming visit, Jewish activists try by Wednesday. He was
in the USSR have stepped up recently released from a
their efforts to publicize their mental hospital in Leningrad.
Palestinians Object
plight.
The demonstrations have to Immigration of Jews
met with arrests and deten-
CAIRO — Palestinian lead-
tion until the close of Presi- ers appealed to the Soviet
dent Nixon's visit. Soviet of- Union indirectly Saturday to
ficials fear, according to stop the emigration of Soviet
reports, that the seminar will Jews to Israel.
draw further attention to the
situation concerning Soviet The -appeal came in a politi-
cal declaration adopted by
Jews.
Palestine National Coun-
Dr. Alexander Voronel, a the
cil, which has been meeting
renowned physicist, at whose in Cairo since June 1, to map
home the seminar is to be
strategy in the Middle
held, was taken into custody future
East.
twice by the Soviet security
Without mentioning t h e
police and warned that if he
were to continue with the Soviet Union by name, the
plans for the seminar, he declaration said: "The Coun-
would face six months to cil appeals to all justice and
three years in prison or five peace loving peoples and gov-
ernments of the world and
years in exile.
Voronel was told by a all liberation and progressive
Colonel Amplsov that he forces to struggle against
could be accused of anti-So- Zionist activity aimed at the
viet propaganda and slander- immigration of more Jews to
ing the SoViet system. Voro- occupied Palestine (Israel)."
nel refused to cease his ac-
tivities and was released.
ADL Asks U.S. Halt
Other Soviet Jewish scien-
tists, participants in the sem- UNRWA Aid While
inar, have received papers Terrorists in Camps
from the Soviet authorities
NEW YORK — The Anti-
instructing them to report
Defamation League of Bnai
for military duty.
The scientists, some 18 in Brith has called upon the
number, have ignored the U.S. government "to cease
order and gone into hiding extending financial assistance
in the country. They are now to the United Nations Relief
being hunted by the KGB, and Works Agency as long as
refugee camps are used as
the Soviet secret police. •
Soviet Jewry activists are terrorist hideouts and train-
seeking information on the ing centers."
fates of Victor Polsky and
The ADL position, con-
Yuli Tartakovsky, who most tained in a "resolution on ter-
likely soon will stand trial, rorism," also urged that the
and Alexander Feldman.
government introduce mea-
Feldman, recently trans- sures in the United Nations
ferred from a forced labor to "impose penalties, includ-
camp to a prison cell,c was ing quarantine and sanction,
severely beaten by fellow in- upon those Arab states which
mates while on a hunger collaborate with terrorists."
strike. He is serving a 31/2
Adopted by the ADL's na-
sentence -for allegedly strik- tional_ _ executive committee,
ing a woman. -
the resolution further de-
Michael Agursky, a Mos- manded that "the govern-
cow Jew with a doctorate in ments of the world require
mathematics, has disclosed proof froth- Arab states that
in a letter to the Washington they will act-- decisively to
Committee for Soviet Jewry suppress those terrorists who
that if he stopped criticizing even now continue to remain
the Soviet government he free, and are plotting to carry
would be allowed to emi- out further atrocities and
grate.
massacres."

Soviet Jews
Adopted Here

The lives of a Moscow
Psychiatrist and a dentist
have been made a little
easier, thanks to Detroiters
who have "adopted" them.
But much remains to be
done on their behalf — and
for others who still wait for
exit visas from the Soviet
Union.
Dr. Vladimir Gregorie
Levit was fired from his p
at the Psychiatry Institute -.
the Academy of Medical
Sciences of the USRR when
he, his wife, also a doctor,
and their 17-year-old daugh-
ter applied for exit visas to
go to Israel.
Unable to practice and un-
able to leave Russia because
he was "too highly quali-
fied," Dr..vLevit and his
family were adopted—in ab-
sentia—.by Dr. Peter Martin,
a Detroit psychiatrist, and
his wife.
Detroit Women of Alpha
Omega, a dental auxiliary,.
has adopted Mark Nashpitz,
a Moscow dentist. Nashpitz
also may not practice, and
he too, was denied an exit
visa. He has obtained Israeli
citizenship; however, he is
being detained in Russia and
reportedly suffers police
harassment.
Yuli Tartakovshky suffered
a similar fate. Denied per-
mission to emigrate, Tarta-
kovshky. an engineer, also is
unable to practice his pro-
fession. When the Detroit
Committee for Soviet Jewry
placed a call to him recently,
he asked for help from the
U.S.
The Soviet Jewry commit-
tee requests- persons inter-
ested in helping the above-
named Soviet Jews to write
on their behalf to Senators
Philip Hart and Robert Grif-
fin, and Ambassador Anatoly
Dobrynin-at , the Russian
Embassy in Washington. For
information on ways to help
Soviet Jews, call Mrs. Myron
Joyrich, 352-7123.

Yuli TartakoVsky, 24, a
Kiev activist facing- possible
trial, is one of the Soviet ac-
tivists who is being contact-
ed regularly by members of
the Detroit Committee for
Soviet Jewry. As a way of
showing local solidarity with
those who are seeking exit
visas, the Action Committee
is urging the community to
contribute both funds and
other means of support such
as letters to Soviet Jews and
to U.S. and Soviet govern-
ment leaders.

