Soviet Emigres to Israel Not Jewish, May Have to Leave
Nineteen members of a Soviet family who immigrated to Israel this week may have to find another place to live after disclosing that they are not Jews but Pentecostals, a fundamentalist Christian sect.
Pyotr and Alexandra Trofimov arrived in Israel with 17 children and grandchildren Dec. 31 after emigrating from the Crimean city of Simferopol.
Like Jewish immigrants to Israel, the Trofimovs were granted automatic citizenship and given certificates entitling each family member to $175 and extensive housing and education benefits. They were housed in three modern apartments in the port city of Haifa.
The government apparently learned through news reports later that the family is not Jewish.
Pyotr Trofimov, 63, said that Pentecostals are persecuted in the Soviet Union. “We did not feel ourselves morally free because we are Christian believers,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Israel’s Interior Ministry said today the family members will be called in and may “have to find another place in the world to live.” The Soviet Union does not take back citizens who have emigrated.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
