Jews In Russia

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30892, 27 October 1965, Page 16

Jews In Russia

Sir, —The Soviet Constitution prohibits national or racial discrimination, both against and in favour of individuals. AU religious organisations in the Soviet Union enjoy equal rights and opportunities irrespective of whether they are widespread or small. To say that Jewish culture fias been suppressed cannot, I think, be true when there are Soviet Jews active in all spheres of Soviet life. A few of the well-known Soviet Jews are Ehrenburg (writer), Landau (physicist), Oistrakh, Gilels, Kogan and Rostropovich (musicians), and Plisetskaya (ballerina). In the diplomatic services and armed forces, there are Jews. Magazines and books are published in Yiddish but as 80 per cent of the Jewish population do not know Yiddish, this must be the reason_why publishing in the language has virtually stopped. With better economic conditions in the Soviet Union the modern generation of Soviet Jews are losing interest in religion and becoming assimilated with the other peoples of the USSR.— Yours, etc., PETER McNULTY. October 26, 1965.