Harbin Jews, with Soviet Passports, Reach Hong Kong; Report on Life Under Soviets

The first group of Jews from Harbin, Manchuria, who are on route to Israel, arrived here on a specially chartered ship from Tientsin. All members of the group are Soviet citizens. Their immigration is sponsored by the International Refugee Organization and the Joint Distribution Committee.

The 57 persons in the group were not permitted to land here although they had British transit visas. They were removed from the ship under supervision of I.R.O. officials and were hurried out to the local airfield where they were placed aboard a plane for Israel. None of their relatives in this city were permitted to communicate with them.

They told newspapermen that the Soviet Consulate in Harbin–not the Chinese Communist authorities–has banned all Zionist activities in the city. Also, all Jewish youth organizations and other national groups were liquidated. Only the Jewish Community Council was permitted to function.

The city of Harbin, once a flourishing center of Jewish social life, is now dead as far as Jewish social activities are concerned. The Jewish population has been reduced to about 500 families, all of whom are preparing to leave for Israel. Their desire to emigrate is intensified by the fear that they may eventually be forced to return to the Soviet Union whence many fled after the Communist Revolution.

Most of the Jews in Harbin were well-to-do. Upon emigration they must leave their property behind, since government regulations do not permit them to dispose of the property. Among the first emigrants were the wife and children of Dr. A. Kaufman, well-known Zionist leader and for many years president of the Harbin Jewish Community. Dr. Kaufman was arrested on the day Soviet forces occupied the city. He was sent to Russia for his allegod “collaborationis” during the Japanese occupation of Harbin.