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Soviets Proven Blatant Violators
On Helsinki Human Rights Accords
BY DEBORAH K. SCHLUSSEL
On June 3, 1976, the United ical training is non-existent, due an anti-Zionist committee in the
Soviet public." So much for
States, Canada, and all Euro- to no other reason than the fact human
rights, civil liberties,
pean nations, with the exception that it is not permitted by the and freedom
in the Soviet
of Albania, ended a series of Soviet government. Therefore, it
long discussions on issues by is not surprising that these syn- Union.
signing the Helsinki Accords. agogues are run by "rabbis" who
The human rights community
This six-page document details are actually trained and regis- would be better advised to fol-
compliance with and monitoring tered KGB agents appointed by low the advice of Dr. Andrei
of certain human rights, eco- the Soviet authorities to monitor Sakharov, who warned that
nomic, scientific, cultural ex- Jewish activity.
or even the hint of
Jews who engage in any reli- "Weakness,
change, and security issues.
weakness and vulnerability to
gious
activity
must
do
so
clan-
Human rights, one of the major
blackmail, is inconsistent with
components of the Helsinki Ac- destinely, for if they are caught the defense of human rights and
cords, is described in detail. By practicing religion, they will be can lead to tragic consequences."
signing this document, the sig- arrested, detained, interrogated, The time has come for the
natories pledged civil liberties imprisoned, and quite often, United States to come to grips
and free emigration to all of never seen again.
with the violations of the Soviet
Soviet Jews have been beaten Union. Such acts of evil cannot
their citizens and visitors.
and
arrested
for
teaching
He-
The Soviet Union, one of the
for the good of the Jewish people
major parties to the Helsinki brew, and KGB raids on homes and other minority groups
Accords, is also one of the most have increased in recent within the Soviet Union, and for
blatant violators of human months. Psychiatric hospitals the good of the word and man-
rights in the world. By signing and mental institutions are kind, remained unthwarted.
the Helsinki Accords, the being used to silence the dissent
Soviets formalized their com- of the refuseniks, and many
mitment to certain policies gov- Jews are being incarcerated in
erning emigration and concern- prisons and concentration
ing human rights. However, camps. Ex-refusenik Yosef Men-
they have apparently taken this delevich stated that, without a Ref usenik's Day
with' a grain of salt. Perhaps the doubt, anti-Semitism in the In Labor Camp
Soviets do not view emigration Soviet Union is on the same
and human rights with the seri- level as that of Nazi Germany BY JEFFREY SELIK
ousness that we do, but nonethe- before the Holocaust.
This constant anti-Semitism
Every morning I wake up
less, they must be held account-
able by the treaties that they coupled with decreasing oppor- after having the same dream
have signed, or else, what is the tunities for higher education night after night. I dream I am
purpose of negotiating any other and professional positions has on a big airplane en route to
treaties with them. One-sided prompted more and more Jews America, the land of freedom.
agreements are useless and in to seek emigration from the Then all of a sudden, reality
vain, and once one party breaks USSR. At first, only the less- hits me like a knife in my heart.
I am shivering in my bed in my
its end of the bargain, the whole
barrack, a prisoner in a Soviet
deal is void.
labor camp.
The Soviet Union was also a
I'm so hungry, yet I know
sponsor of and signed the U.S. Jews who engage in
these sharp pains in my
Declaration of Human Rights. any religious '
stomach will not disappear as
This is a 30-page document
long as I must remain here. I
which elaborately details the activities must do so
long for a decent meal, but I
various human rights and free- clandestinely.
realize that the chances for my
doms by which they, the other
release are unlikely. I will soon
parties and sponsors involved,
eat what they refer to as break-
and all members of the United
fast. I will have a hard wedge of
Nations Assembly were to abide.
bread and a small cup of
Not unlike the Helsinki Ac- assimilated Jews living in Cen- black
Asia, the Caucasus, and the spoiled milk. After "breakfast" I
cords, this document highlights tral
tried to leave, but in- begin another day of hard labor.
and affirms the most fundamen- Baltics
There are so many things I
assimilated Jews liv-
tal human rights: liberty of creasingly,
want to learn about, but there is
ing
in
the
Slavic
republics,
espe-
thought, conscience, and faith; cially in the RSFSR (Russia Re- no one here to teach me about
the exercise of civil and political public) and the Ukraine have them. It is important to me to
rights; and the rights of applied to emigrate. This is sig- learn all about my Jewish heri-
minorities. Also not unlike the nificant, for it appears that life tage and without that informa-
Helsinki Accords, the Soviet in the Soviet Union is becoming tion, I feel like there is a large
Union has clearly and profusely intolerable for more and more void in' my life. I want to know
violated the U.N. Declaration of Jews, even those who do not about other countries and the
Human Rights. Not only does identify with being Jewish. people that live in them. I
the Soviet Union deny its citi- These assimilated Jews had dream of the time that I can
zens any civil liberty, but it also been loyal proponents of the visit these places as a free man
refuses its citizens their right to soviet way of life.
My mother told me that when
emigrate from this oppressive
Emigration has declined from she was a girl, she went to a
country so that they may prac- a peak
in 1979, to 896 party. She said she had a good
tice freedom elsewhere. The fol- in 1984, of a 51,000
drop of over 98 peir-' time. I have never been to a
on
will
further
elaborate
lowing
cent. The figures for the first 11 party before, but the best time I
a few of the various human months of this year (1985) ever had was the time I was
rights violations committed by amount to almost nothing in sick and L couldn't work for two
the Soviet Communist dictator- terms of emigration. They are as days.
ship.
When I became 13 years old, I
January-61, February-
The major ethnic group af- follows:
March-97, April-166, May- wanted so very much to be bar
fected by 'this dictatorial domi- 88,
June-36, July-174, August- mitzvahed. Unfortunately, I
nation is the Soviet Jewish 51,
29, September-93, October-124 couldn't. I know that it is not
population. Jewish cultural and and November-128, for a sum possible here, but I won't be a
religious expression has long total of 647. The Soviets respond real man or a real Jew until I
been restricted, and there are by saying that many Jews have can. It hurts so much to want
apparent Soviet obstacles to its been wrongly influenced by something so badly but to be
preservation. There are no He- "Zionists." Hostile Zionist prop- denied my heritage.
brew or Yiddish schools, and aganda, they maintain, has de-
Soon it will be time for
Hebrew and Yiddish publica- ceptively lured many Soviet dinner. 'Then I will go to bed,
tions and language instruction Jews to Israel from the USSR. and dream my same dream, just
are extremely limited, if not al- On March 31, 1983, the Soviet to wake up in the morning to
ready obsolete. Less than 60 press reported "the formation of the chill of reality.
synagogues remain, and rabbin-
,
,
■•■
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