Anti-passover Campaign Slow As Leaders Lack Incentive

The anti-Passover campaign in Russia is proceeding very slowly this year because American Jews are not sending matzoth into Russia as they did last year, complains the Charkov “Shtern.” The paper points out that last year the anti-Passover campaign was stimulated by campaigning against the American matzoth but this year “many leaders think it does not pay to bother with the campaign because there is nothing to campaign against.”

Pointing out that religious Jews are very active with Passover preparations even though no matzoth is coming in from abroad, the “Shtern” calls for greater anti-Passover activity on the eve of Passover and urges the artisans in particular not to observe the rituals. The Moscow “Emes,” which is now under partial government control, is obeying the instructions not to mock at religion and is practically silent on Passover. This is the first Passover since the Revolution that the “Emes” is refraining from a furious anti-Passover campaign, restricting itself for the most part to carefully written and mild anti-Passover articles.