Reports that the present Cuban government is projecting a new series of regulations governing immigration and activities of aliens are causing grave anxiety to the Jewish community in view of apparent official hostility to the Jews.
The restrictions, it is understood, will impose serious difficulties in the path of Jews and other aliens seeking employment here. A compulsory passport system under which the price of a passport will be virtually prohibitive for most of the Jewish community, and provisions expected to reduce the number of Jews allowed entry to the country to ten a year are also reported as to be enacted.
Added to these fears of official action, the Jews in Cuba have to put up with an increasing reign of terror, of robberies and hold-ups. Armed bands of soldiers, under the pretext of searching for arms, are holding up Jews and robbing their homes.
A Hungarian Jew named Harbin, a dealer in gold, is one of the latest victims of this practice. Harbin’s home was raided by armed soldiers in the dead of night and he was robbed of $8,000 after soldiers had threatened him with death.
David Ginzberg, a peddler, was “arrested” on the street during the day. Later, his house was searched, ten dollars hidden there stolen and he was released.
Three Jewish bakeries in the heart of the Jewish district were raided and robbed. The usual provocation for raids on business establishments is the government drive now under way to enforce observance of the decree giving native-born Cubans preference in employment and directing that at least fifty percent of the workers in any establishment must be native born.
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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.
