A Life of Sakharov, a Champion of ‘All Free Thinkers’
Spring Books
By William Korey
April 26, 2002
In early September 1973, 35 prominent Jewish activists drafted and distributed throughout Moscow an extraordinary “open letter” in which they publicly identified themselves with physicist Andrei D. Sakharov, the Soviet Union’s leading dissident, as he faced ferocious hate-propaganda campaigns organized by the Kremlin. The letter sought to assure him of “our moral support and deep respect.” Additionally, a few days later, the leading Jewish scientist-refuseniks, including the distinguished Veniamin Levich (who would later teach at the University of Tel Aviv and at the City University of New York), joined in a statement denouncing the propaganda campaigns as “intimidation of all free thinkers and preparation of public opinion for future repression.”Read More »A Life of Sakharov, a Champion of ‘All Free Thinkers’