David Bergelson, the famous Yiddish novelist, who left Russia in 1921 because of his opposition to the Jewish Communists, and has been living for the last ten years in Berlin, has returned to Russia and become permanently resident in Moscow.
A number of receptions have been given here in his honour by various Yiddish cultural organisations, and the Yiddish State Theatre in Moscow has given a festival performance of his play “The Dumb”.
Speaking from the stage between the acts, Bergelson said that he felt that he was bound to proletarian life, and it was only in a proletarian atmosphere that he could do creative work. He expressed his repentance for the attitude he had taken up in 1921, against the policy of the Jewish Communists, because of which he had left the country.
In March 1926, the Yiddish Communist daily “Emess” in Moscow published a letter from David Bergelson, expressing penitence for his attitude of opposition in the past to the policy of the Jewish Communists. This declaration, Bergelson wrote, is made without any outside pressure. It is solely dictated by my conscience, because I am heart and soul with you and the great Jewish work you do. I expect no compensation for my repentence, Bergelson added, because I do not intend to return soon to Russia, as I feel that I cannot be of use at present. I have fairly deserved my exile, and I am suffering now for misunderstanding the difficulties with which the Yevseks had to contend at the period I opposed them.
The “Emess” published the letter without comment, except for a footnote in which it said that Bergelson was never exiled from Russia but left Russia of his own will.
In August 1926, Bargolson paid a visit to Russia staying there till November, and he made several statements during his stay in the country expressing admiration of the work done there since he had left in 1921, especially the Jewish colonisation work. He was commissioned during his stay to write two plays for the Moscow Yiddish State Theatre.
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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.
