Rochelle Lieberman and the staff of elEati.on. GATEWAY TRAVEL I J higher still. In the first six months of the year, just over 6,000 Soviet Jews left on visas for Israel, and the monthly figure has risen steadily from a litle over 700 in January, to nearly 1,500 in June. However, the rise must been seen within a historical perspective, which covers more than just the last two or three years. Under the leader- ship of the supposedly liberal Gorbachev, the annual figure is only a fraction of the peak year, 1979, when, under the more conservative Leonid Brezhnev, 51,331 Soviet Jews left on visas for Israel. Emigration and applica- tions for exit visas are still highly problematical as the Soviet government still only recognizes the right of Jews to leave for Israel in order to be reunited with first-degree relatives. Demands that they be allowed to leave to repatriate to their national homeland are ignored, despite Soviet obligation under international law. If the requirement of first- degree kinship is strictly en- forced, as it was in the first few weeks of 1988, the path to emigration will be effectively blocked to the majority of Soviet Jews. While the past year saw the granting of exit visas to many veteran refuseniks, among them the families of Vladimir Prestin and Vladimir Slepak, who applied in 1970, and Yosef Begun, Ida Nudel and Pavel Abramovich who all ap- plied in 1971, others are still being denied permission to leave. Most notable among them is Yuli Kosharovsky, who has now been waiting more than 17 years for an ex- it visa for Israel. As of March 1988, some 2,500 Soviet Jewish families, about 9,000 people, were known to have been refused exit visas at some time and still to be in the Soviet Union. This figure of 9,000 does not include people about whom no details are available in the West, and it is estimated that the true refusenik population of the USSR is two to three times that figure. Many refuseniks continue to be refused permission to leave on the grounds that a member of the family has ac- cess to classified information — a ruse, in most cases, to avoid giving an exit visa to a certain person or family. In other cases, while someone may once have known state secrets, this was such a long time ago, in many cases 15, 20 or even more years, that the claim that such informa- tion can still pose a threat to the security of the USSR, Wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year Ly gpoffak' g rzc. Bridal Gowns and Accessories Custom Mode and Restyling Clothes A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND CLIENTS 3 1065 Orchard Lk Rd. 851-5111} Hunter's Square lks■ ■411 Gateway Travel GATEWAY TRAVEL 353-8600 Marilyn Gold from State Farm Insurance, Wishes Friends & Clients a Healthy & Happy New Year THE ROSENS Wish You All A Happy and Healthy NEW YEAR WARMEST WISHES TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND MANY THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED PATRONAGE. 0 P C I A N BILL Formerly in Oak Park 406 Pelissier St. MICHAEL at the Turn left out of tunnel exit straight thru 1st intersection, turn left into parking garage. (519) 977-1188 OPTICAL SHOP General Motors Bldg., Concourse 233 871-5744 Detroit, Mich. 48202 '-oi Best Wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Wishing You and Yours A Happy and Healthy NEW YEAR! HUNTERS SQUARE TALLY HALL ORCHARD LAKE AT FOURTEEN MILE FARMINGTON HILLS, MI • 855-3444 Mon: Sat. 9:30-5:30 Fri. 9:30-8:00 Sun. 12-4 825 „ Woodward Ave. Motors Lta. pontiac, MI 48053 (313) 332-8000 17 0 IMO - Lotus THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 105