A report on the condition of Jews in countries behind the Iron Curtain was made public here today by the Anglo-Jewish Association. It emphasized that while Jews as Jews are not being persecuted in those countries, attempts to express Judaism spell danger for them.
The report establishes that the governments in the Soviet bloc of countries view with extreme disfavor any independent Jewish organization, if it is not completely in the hands of Communists. Such organizations are either banned or forced to dissolve “voluntarily” or are taken over by the Communists. Where non-political communities are still telerated, as for instance in Hungary, they are confined strictly to religious affairs, the report says.
Emigration to Israel is difficult from almost all these countries, with the exception of Bulgaria, the report emphasizes. It adds that Zionism is regarded in all Soviet bloc countries as an enemy. Jewish Communists play a leading role in vilifying both Zionism and the Israel Government; however, in some small matters the governments of Eastern Europe go out of their way to show benevolence to their Jewish populations, the report declares.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
