Archangel in Arctic Region Gets Large Jewish Population Through Growing Number of Soviet Exiles: No

Archangel, the famous port on the White Sea, which is frozen over for about five to six months in the year, had before the war about 10,000 inhabitants. To-day the population has risen to over 100,000, a prominent Jewish merchant in Riga, who has just returned from a business visit to Archangel, said in a talk with the J.T.A. representative here. The increase in population, he said, has meant also the growth of a large Jewish settlement in Archangel, numbering now about 5,000.

It is not because of the attractions of Archangel, or because of its opportunities for business, that it has grown to be such an important centre, he went on. These thousands of new people are not in Archangel voluntarily, but by compulsion. They are all exiles who are in this way made to expiate their offences against the Soviet regime. There are two kinds of exiles: those who are kept in the concentration camp, and those who are allowed to go about at liberty.

That the figure of 5,000 Jews is not exaggerated can be seen from the fact, he proceeded, that in the last Jewish High Holy Days when the Jewish exiles were allowed to organise services about 2,000 attended. The building provided for the purpose could hold only about 500, so the rest stood outside, taking part in the services in the open. It must be remembered that practically all those who attended the services were the older people. The younger folk did not come. Judging by this fact, 5,000 does not seem at all an exaggerated figure for the present number of Jewish exiles in Archangel.

It is interesting to note, he said, that while the Christian exiles are practically all political offenders there are no political offenders among the Jews. They are all Lishonzys, that is to say, former traders whose crime is that they were not able to pay the leavy taxation imposed upon them.

Some of the exiles have been able to arrange their affairs quite satisfactorily. There is a good deal of traffic in the town, so many of them have become drivers. Others trade in the market place. The intellectuals work in the Administrative Department of the Concentration Camp. The well known Jewish Advocate Dubnitzki and the Moscow Engineer Shalman have both obtained work in this Department.

RABBI LAZAROV OF LENINGRAD IN CONCENTRATION CAMP: ALSO UNCLE OF POALE ZION LEADER RUBASHOV AMONG ARCHANGEL EXILES.

Rabbi Lazarov of Leningrad is among the prisoners in the concentration camp. It is difficult to recognise him, because he was compelled to out off his beard. He has to take parcels from the prisoners for posting.

The well known Poale Zion leader, Zalman Rubashov, has an uncle among the Archangel exiles.

The position of the older prisoners is very distressing. The food provided is, of course, not kosher, so they live practically on dry bread. Those who have a rouble or two to spare, buy food for it, but this is rare. Some of them, particularly the intelligentsia have been joined by their families.