Soviet exit, a Dutch u-turn and JFS cruises
Few Soviet Jews are wishing to return
Jews are still streaming out of the Soviet Union to Vienna. They arrive every day, either with the Chopin Express or on aircraft of the Soviet airline, Aeroflot They come from every part of the USSR, belong to a wide variety of occupations and professions and are of all ages. Their goal is Israel in contrast to earlier East European emigrants from Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia a not inconsiderable number of whom used their exit permits to Israel solely as a means of escape and then emigrated elsewhere after reaching Vienna.
£80,000 JFS cruise to Israel
One thousand pupils of the JFS Comprehensive School, Camden Town, are to take part in an £80,000 educational cruise to Israel next March, accompanied by 60 Jewish and non-Jewish members of the staff. The cruise — the first in which a school will take over a complete vessel — is being organised by the headmaster of the JFS, Dr Edward Conway. He told me this week: “The school has undertaken this exciting and challenging project to en sure that every pupil will experience the reality behind the classroom approach to our religion, history and culture.”
The fortnight’s cruise, on the P & O liner, Uganda, will be for pupils aged between twelve and 15. Participants, who will each pay £80 will take part in lessons and lectures and will spend several days in Israel.
“Ever since the school opened,” said Dr Conway, “groups of pupils have annually visited Israel during holiday time but the numbers constituted a tiny minority. Because this trip will take place in term time, every pupil will be able to participate.’
War criminals not to be freed
Under the pressure of one of the most vigorous protest campaigns mounted in Holland since the Second World War, the Dutch Cabinet climbed down at the week-end and abandoned its ‘”provisional” plans to release the last three Nazi war criminals still held in Breda gaol. The announcement of the plan by Mr Barend Biesheuvel, the Prime Minister, on February 16 unleashed bitter controversy. Mr Andreas van Agt, the Minister of Justice, said at the weekend that the violent public reaction was a painful surprise to the Government, which had not realised that memories of wartime suffering were still so strong.