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• THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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Southfield student battled
harassment in Leningrad

BY JEFFREY GUYER

Staff writer

Noel Nevshehir, of South-
field, a 25-year-old student
at the University of Michi-
gan, spent six weeks in
Leningrad studying Rus-
sian language and culture
as part of the University of
New Hampshire's Associate
Academic Programs in
Leningrad (AAPL). As a re-
search project for his Rus-
sian culture class, he spent
his time in the Soviet Union
studying the problems of
Jewish emigration from
that country — and trying
to avoid Soviet harassment.
At first apprehensive
about his project and un-
familiar surroundings,
Nevshehir soon came to feel
comfortable with the
environment. That was be-
fore the harassment began.
"Once the Soviets found
out what I was doing, I was
always followed, and my
room was searched
whenever I went out," Nev-
shehir said. .
The findings of his study
are simple enough. Soviet
Jewry faces serious prob-
lems, and no apparent eas-
ing of conditions is in sight.
"It's like Nazi Germany
without the swastikas," he
said.
Taking into account re-
cent events, the Soviet
harassment of Nevshehir
and his roommate seems, at
this point, to be part of a
long chain of Soviet in-
tolerance of Westerners,
Americans in particular, in
Leningrad.
U.S. officials have
charged that there has been
a definite campaign of
harassment against Ameri-
cans.
In the course of his re-
search, Nevshehir was de-
nied access to Soviet lib-
raries, making research all
but impossible. "They found
out what I was studying and
went out of their way to pre-
vent me from completing.
it."
Nevshehir spent a great
deal of time contacting
"political dissidents" and
"refuseniks." Many of the
students involved in the
University of New Hamp-
shire program spent time in
the USSR attempting to
contact relatives of Jews
who immigrated to the
United States. It was after a
party one night with some
Soviet Jews that the
harassment came to a head.
On the way back to their
hotel on June 10, Nev-
shehir's roommate, Andy
Espinosa, 21, of Highwood,
Ill., was severely beaten
while walking by the same
area where an American
Marine was beaten by
Soviet police last week.
Espinosa was found un-
conscious in the basement of

offices of the Soviet pro- Leningrad "and the protec-
curator general (attorney tions afforded them under
general) are located. He was the U.S.-USSR Consular
hospitalized for five days, Convention are S not being
suffering from a concussion, respected by Soviet
a gashed cheek and several authorities."
chipped teeth. Espinosa's
According to Espinosa,
condition was so bad, says "just being an American
Nevshehir, that "on the first there has become danger-
day we went to see him, we ous."
thought we had the wrong
Nevshehir, a Christian,
room. That's how bad he was exposed to a side of
looked."
Jewish life he never knew
Nevshehir and other stu- existed. Living with Jewish
dents on the tour suspect families and discussing
KGB involvement.
their problems with them
"We figured it had to be gave him, he said, a better
the KGB," says Espinosa. understanding of the terri-
"It was obviously not a rob- ble problem which has been
bery. I was wearing jewelry, rampant in the Soviet
a watch and jeans, carrying Union for decades.
American money, credit
Nevshehir tells a story of
cards, my visa — all prize a woman he met while
possessions in the Soviet studying. The woman lives
Union — and nothing was in what has turned into a
missing when I woke up."
neglected, , run-down
In the incident last week, apartmept, which she re-
a group of Soviet security fused to repair. "The same
officers lured an off-duty moment I start fixing up
Marine guard away from this apartment," she says,
the U.S., consulate in "is the same moment I lose
Leningrad and severely all hope. It is the same mo-
beat him, claiming he was ment I resign myself to stay-
drunk.
ing here. I am not going to
Not counting the Es- stay here."
pinosa incident, it was the
The conclusions of Nev-
second assault on a U.S. shehir's study center
representative in Lenin- around the living conditions
grad in four months.
of the Jews and the obsta-
According to Jaroslav cles they face when trying to
Verner, a spokesman for the leave the USSR.
U.S. embassy in Moscow,
"It's a terrible existence,
"This inexcusable action on for the Jewish refuseniks
the part of Soviet police has especially," he observes.
been vigorously protested "They are always at the
both in Washington and brunt of Soviet harass-
here in Moscow."
ment."
The other case was last
"The morale is extremely
May when U.S. Vice Consul low," says Nevshehir.
Ronald Harms was beaten
"Jews are bargaining
outside a Leningrad restau- chips in East-West negotia-
rant.
tions. When tensions are re-
Nevshehir was gravely laxed, more Jews get to
disappointed with. the U.S. leave. When things are like
consulate in Leningrad they are now, no one gets
•after his roommate's "run- out."
in" with the Soviets. "They.
"The sad part," he asserts,
did nothing to help us and "is that the situation is not
were very apprehensive going to get any better."
about going public with the
incident. They wanted noth-
ing attributed to them,"
Nevshehir said. "They paid
Piofessor cited
us lip service, that's all."
The State Department
Cincinnati (JTA) — Dr.
Monday, responding to this
Petuchowski, Profes-
current wave of anti- Jakob
of Judaeo-Christian
Americanism in Leningrad, sor
Studies and Research Pro-
warned Americans that fessor
of Jewish Theology
traveling to Leningrad car, and Liturgy
at the (Reform)
ries with it the risk of arbit- Hebrew Union
rary arrest, beatings and Jewish Institute College-
of Reli-
other forms of harassment. gion, has been honored
by
The warning does not put the government of West.
a ban on travel in the area Germany.
but does advise of the in-
Karl Karstens
creased harassment, and of of President
West
Germany
the refusal of Soviet officials awarded to Petuchowski has
the
to allow detained Ameri- Officer's Cross of the Order
cans access to their consular of
in recognition of
officials, as stipulated in the the Merit
scholar's efforts to pro-
U.S.-USSR Consular Con- mote
Judaeo-Christian
vention.
studies in West German
Alan Romberg, a State 'universities and to encour
Department spokesman, age closer cooperation be
warned Monday that the tween Jews and Christians

Friday, August 10, 19841 39

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