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Open Biro-bidjan to Polish Jewry

December 13, 1934
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Transportation of fifteen hundred Jews from Poland to Biro-Bidjan will start in February as commencement of an organized immigration of Polish Jews into Soviet Russia, it was officially announced here today.

The permission for Polish Jews to migrate to Biro-Bidjan was obtained as result of negotiations between Soviet authorities and Dr. M. Suritz, representative of Agro-Yid, Jewish organization in Poland established for the purpose of aiding the migration of Polish Jews to Biro-Bidjan. Dr. Suritz, who upon the arrival at Moscow last week was received by President Kalinin, will leave soon for Warsaw to organize the migration of the first group to the autonomous Jewish region.

Prior to seeing President Kalinin, Dr. Suritz paid a visit to the Polish Ambassador in Moscow, it became known here today. Dr. Suritz informed the envoy he came to the Soviet to submit a memorandum to the government asking permission for Polish Jews to migrate to Russia.

In the course of his conversation with the Polish Ambassador, Dr. Suritz pointed out that not less than 100,000 skilled Polish Jews who are only too willing to do any sort of work in Poland have no other recourse than migrate to Biro-Bidjan because of the destitution of the Polish-Jewish population. There are now more than a million Jews in Poland who would be glad to migrate to any country in order to earn even the poorest livelihood, since this seems impossible for them in their own land.

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