Exodus, revised version. (Soviet Jews emigrate) (Europe)

Economist (US), The, December, 1989

HERE is a paradox. The Soviet Union's 2m or so jews are probably freer now than at any time since the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. Yet, far from staying to savour the freedoms for which they had campaigned so tenaciously, ever-larger numbers of Soviet Jews are getting ready to leave.

Moscow is full of stories about the exodus: "Have you heard that the entire community in Kiev has decided to leave?"; Did you know that so-and-so (a famous surgeon) is going to emigrate with his whole family?" In the first I I months of 1989, 62,504 Soviet Jews have emigrated, easily breaking the record of 51,333 in the whole of 1979. In November alone, 11,168 left. Some 500,000 Jews have either applied for permission to leave or have documents enabling them to make an application....

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