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" Come
only
if
you cherish freedom. Then you wi/1 be happy in America.
Here you read what you wish , and think what you wi/1. "
- Vladimir Matlin, Former Soviet citizen
THE
SOVIET JEWS
Making lt in America
by Frances Halpern • Photos by Pau l Slaughter
The subject of recen/ Jewish immigra tion to the United States from the Soviet Union
has
been largely overlooked by
the news media. The Jewish Federation Council does not pub/icize the arrival of the immigrants, and the U.S.
government 's on/y invo/vement
is
to agree to let them in. The Soviet Jews do not accept government aid in any form
and are supported and launched into American society sote/y by funds collected by Jewish federatwns around the
country. Bu/ now,
as
we near the end of America
's
bicentennial year, it
is
fit t1ng that this story of new " huddled
masses
yearning to be free " be told. The author
is
a free-lance writer living in the
Los
Angeles area. - The Editors
T
he hugc jet touched down a t
Los Angeles airport in an ea rly
morn ing mis t bringing to the
New Wo rld a gro up o f Sovie t
Jews. pawns in a n internationa l po–
litica l drama which began when
6
they summoned up the courage to
see k exit visas in Ru sia. They've
left Moscow and Min k. Odessa and
Kiev. They have been processed
and coun eled in Vi cnn a a nd Rome.
and now they are in America. Re fu -
gees. Mos t of them without funds. a
psychologically unprepared, propa–
gandized people from a police stat e.
full of hope and anxiety. exulta ti on
and fea r. and many misconcept ions.
Waiting for th em are social work-
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1976