In Warsaw and Lodz the Communists made unsuccessful attempts to hold anti-Yom Kippur demonstrations. The kitchen of the Jewish Socialists near the Tlomaski Synagogue remained open and when Yom Kippur service began the Poale Zion and the Bund held workers’ meetings in their headquarters.
At the famous chassidic center of Ger, Communists placed a red flag in front of the study of the Gerer Rebbe. When the police removed the flag the Communists began a meeting on a vacant lot between the rabbi’s study and the synagogue. While the Rabbi was at prayer unknown persons sought to photograph him. The Rabbi’s followers energetically opposed this action. The strangers then began shooting, causing an uproar which resulted in two of them being injured and then arrested.
In Lemberg, serious street fights occurred between Communist and Jewish worshippers. The Communists entered a synagogue and began tearing the prayer shawls off the worshippers and sought to desecrate the ark containing the Torah scrolls. The police were called in and arrested 12 of the invaders, many of whom required medical attention.
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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.
