In its Dec. 15 issue the “Forward” carries an article on the subject of the conference which has been called for Dec. 21 to organize American Jews for the purpose of aiding Jewish colonization in Russia. The “Forward” quotes a letter from a Jewish Socialist in Russia, who, the readers are told, is a well known figure but whose name cannot be revealed for obvious reasons, in which the writer denounces the new movement for colonizing Russian Jews as being the machination of Jewish communists who seek to extract money from American Jewry for their own purposes under the guise of helping the Jews in Russia. The writer of the letter, as quoted by the “Forward”, says:
“At first there was talk here of creating ‘a Jewish republic’ in Crimea, but the Jewish communists soon took fear at the idea of ‘a Jewish government’ and a plan was worked out for a ‘commission for Jewish mass-colonization in Soviet Russia.’ At the head of this commission are Latzis, Larin and Merezhin.
“Latzis, a Lett, is one of the bloodiest figures of the Russian revolution. He is the organizer of the Cheka and its ‘theoretician’. He was at the head of the All-Ukrainian Cheka and under his orders over 3,000 persons were killed in Kiev alone. Even his fellow-communists were dismayed at his cruelty.
“Larin, a Jew, whose real name is Lurie, is one of the wildest fanatics of the so-called ‘revolutionary communism’. He has always propogated that the Cheka should suppress every bit of economic freedom in Russia.
“The third member of the commission, Merezhin, is the leader of the Yevsektzia (Jewish Section of the Russian Communist Party). He is famous for his ruthless war against rabbis, synagogues, yeshivas and Hebrew teachers.
“These are the men who have undertaken to help the Russian Jews. The communists in Moscow are certain that the American Jews will grab the opportunity offered them to promote ‘Jewish colonization’ and will furnish millions of dollars for the ‘colonies’. I am writing this letter so that the Jewish public may know of the true situation.”
PLEASED WITH PROFESSOR ELIOT’S ADDRESS
The speech delivered the other day by Professor Eliot, President Emeritus of Harvard University, in which he expressed himself as being strongly opposed to intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles and urged Jews to preserve their racial characteristics and customs and not to eat “treifah”, has called forth much satisfaction in some Jewish newspapers. The “Jewish Daily News” writes in yesterday’s issue:
“Professor Eliot believes the Jews should not assimilate. Not all Jews in this country agree with him, for we see a tendency among our wealthy class toward assimilation. There is scarcely a wealthy Jewish family in America today that is not colored by assimilation. Perhaps Professor Eliot’s warning will have an influence on them.
“One thing is certain, and that is that Professor Eliot is more outspoken on this subject than some of our reform-rabbis. We would feel immensely pleased if the rabbis of the Cincinnati Seminary would help out Professor Eliot in his fight against assimilation. Now that Professor Eliot has spoken so frankly on this matter it would be perfectly proper, we think, for the reform-rabbis to enter the fight against assimilation.
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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.
