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PAGE 6 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 24, 1986 Ordeal ends for Soviet Jewish families NEW YORK (JTA)—In two surprise moves last week, Soviet authorities allowed a prominent Jewish scientist and his wife and the family of a cancer victim who is now living in Israel to leave the Soviet Union. David Goldfarb and his wife Cecilia were given permission to leave on Oct. 15. Two days later, the entire family of Viktor and Inessa Flerov were notified that they could leave. For the Flerov family, permis sion to emigrate ended an eight- month ordeal. Inessa Flerov’s brother, Mi chael Shirman, 31, is a leukemia patient living in Israel whose sole chance of survival rests on a pos sible bone-marrow tranplant from his sister, his only sibling, who lives in Moscow. Inessa Flerov and her two daughters, Dariya, 7, and Mari ana, 5, were granted exit visas at the end of August; however, So viet officials would not allow them to leave with Viktor, citing his father’s refusal to grant him a waiver of financial obligation. Shirman had told Mrs. Flerov not to leave without her hus band, thereby separating the family on his account. Viktor Flerov and his father had had little contact, if any, in years. Mrs. Flerov first applied for a temporary visa last February, and was repeatedly given con flicting advice about emigration visas by Soviet officials. Both Inessa and Viktor went on hunger strikes to protest the official stonewalling. Shirman came to the United States last week for two days, fol lowing a visit to Iceland during the summit meeting between President President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to plead his case with American and Soviet officials. Last week he told a press conference on Capitol Hill that he has been given about a month to live unless he received the transplant. If all goes well, the Flerovs may leave by the end of this week. But some news reports from Moscow noted that it might take up to two weeks for them to leave. Lynn Singer, director of the Long Island Committee for Soviet Jewry and former president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ), sponsors of Shir- man’s trip to the United States, said Shirman would receive chemotheraphy during his stay in New York for the Sukkot hol iday and then would be placed aboard the first possible plane for Israel. Armand Hammer, the Ameri can industrialist who played a role in Goldfarb’s release, was asked whether he also was in volved in the Flerov case. “This is part of the same goodwill gesture shown by the Soviets with the Goldfarb re lease,” Hammer said in an inter view. “I brought it to the atten tion of the Soviets when I heard from Dr. (Kenneth) Prager some time ago.” Prager, a cardiopulmonary physician at Columbia-Presby- terian hospital in Manhattan, is treating both Shirman and Goldfarb. He wrote to Hammer in August, detailing Shirman’s condition and the plight of the Flerov family. In that letter, Prager asked Hammer during his trip to the Soviet Union last month to in tervene “as forcefully as possi ble” and “as soon as possible” to convince the Soviets that allow ing the Flerovs to leave would be the “humane thing to do.” David Goldfarb is a retired geneticist who suffers from severe complications of diabetes, inclu ding the possibility of amputa tion of his leg. He lost his other leg as a Soviet soldier during World War II. He and his wife arrived in New York late last week with Hammer aboard Hammer’s private jet. They were met at Newark Air port by their son, Alexander Goldfarb, and David Goldfarb’s friend, journalist Nicholas Dani- loff. Goldfarb, a 67-year-old mo lecular biologist and geneticist, was first refused an exit visa in 1979. He finally received a visa in 1984, but it was rescinded shortly afterward when he refused to help the KGB frame Daniloff. Daniloff, the Moscow corre spondent for U S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB in late August after accepting an envelope from a friend that the KGB claimed contained secret material. He was released Sept. 3°. Meanwhile, Secretary of State George Shultz said early this week that the exit visas given the Goldfarbs and Flerovs did not come about because of any “pre cise agreement” during the meet ing between Reagan and Gorba chev Oct. 11-12. “We didn’t have any precise agreement, although many names of individuals were talked about,” Shultz said on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” program. He added that Reagan and Gorbachev also discussed the “hundreds of thousands who would love to emigrate.” A concert featuring the out standing choirs of Atlanta’s Clarke, Morehouse, Morris Brown and Spellman Colleges and internationally known Can tor Isaac Goodfriend, will be held at The Temple on Peach tree, Wednesday, Nov. 19, as part of the international labor movement’s fight against the apartheid laws of South Africa. Proceeds from the “Freedom from Apartheid” concert, which was approved unanimously by the Georgia State AFL-CIO con vention last week, will go to the Afro-Asian Institute of the His- tadrut, Israel’s General Federa tion of Labor, to enable it to con tinue monthly courses for black South African leaders. The courses, which are held in Tel Aviv, began earlier this year In an address late last week to the National Press Club, Shultz had said there was “sustained discussion” on human rights is sues in Iceland. He said the Na tional Conference for Soviet Jewry and other human rights groups “helped us to make a powerful presentation.” UCSJ president Pam Cohen, in a statement following an nouncement of the Flerov’s re lease, said: “While we are grati fied by the decision, the members and board of the UCSJ remain profoundly disturbed by the Soviet Union’s continued refusal to allow emigration for the esti mated 400,000 Soviet Jews who wish to do so. We see no reason why the Soviet government con tinues to delay in these matters, and we urge Soviet authorities to expedite emigration procedures for all Soviet Jewish citizens who wish to go.” at the request of black trade union leaders, teachers’ associa tions and church organizations in South Africa. They are designed to develop black civic infrastruc ture in South Africa and train participants in organization and communication techniques, trade unionism and in what it takes to build a country. In August, the Afro-Asian Institute ran out of funds for the courses (each course costs $100,000), but, with the help of Friends of the Institute in the United States, they are con tinuing. Tickets are available for a $5 donation each from the Histad- rut offices in Atlanta: Suite 272, Prado North Building, 5600 Ros well Road, Atlanta, GA 30342 (telephone: 255-0938). MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE AT HOME With a dedicated kelly homemaker, home health aide, liu* in companion, or nurse who cares for someone you love. ASSISTED LIVING " PROGRAM A personal in-home service tailored to individual needs. Kelly carefully screens and selects the right person for your specific situation, whether it's light housekeeping, personal care, or professional nursing services. 7 days a week. 24 hours a day, insured and bonded. Call for a free assessment by our registered nursing supervisor. 231-3005 A subsidiary of Kelly Services, the “Kelly Girl’ people Excellent Employment Opportunities EOE/MFH ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES Histadrut to sponsor anti-apartheid concert SECOND ANNUAL CHARITY BALL Leo M. Frank B'nai B’rith Lodge invites you to attend Saturday, November 1, 1986 8:30 p.m. until midnight at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, Downtown Atlanta Entertainment by Eli Frisch and the Tempos Kosher Desserts and Cash Bar Black Tie Optional Donations: $18 (Chai), $36 (Double Chai), $54 (Triple Chai) Send check payable to “Leo M. Frank B’nai B’rith’’ to: Robert M. Augenstein, Suite 246, 2480 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA. 30329 or call him at 659-2213 for Visa/ MasterCard donations. Tickets will also be available at the door. For further information, call Alan Ulman, 688-7820 or 874-8308. BENEFITING* THE ATLANTA JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS (HEBREW ACADEMY • EPSTEIN SCHOOL • YESHIVA . TORAH DAY SCHOOL) TAX REFORM ACT OF 1986 Panel Discussion November 3,1986 6 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Federation 1753 Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30309 This “Valuable” presentation is provided as a community service by the Endowment Fund of the Atlanta Jewish Federation. Dinner: *5.00 Call 873-1661 for reservation ACTION VOU CAN TAKE THIS VERA