Twenty-five Jewish musicians of the Soviet All Union Radio and Television Orchestra have been fired from their Jobs In apparent reprisal for the emigration to Israel of the orchestra’s former conductor, Yury Aronovich, the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry reported today. The SSSJ said the dismissals occurred several weeks ago. Aronovich went to Israel last Aug.
The SSSJ said that it was Informed by Jewish sources in the Soviet Union that shortly after Aronovich left, the entire orchestra was informed that it would have to be “re-tested.” The competitive testing was conducted by an official named Merkurov. As a result, 30 musicians were dismissed, 25 of them Jews. Only four Jews remain in the orchestra and they have been told that their Jobs will last only until Nov. or until replacements are found. None of the fired musicians have been able to find other Jobs, the SSSJ reported.
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