Jewish Communists in Poland Intensify Propaganda Against Emigration

The Communist-led Jewish cultural organizations of Poland have intensified their drive, aimed at convincing Jews in Poland that they should cease emigrating to Israel. Evidences of this stepping-up of a campaign that has been increasing in vigor in the last few months piled up here today after receipt of several reports about meetings held by the Communist-led organization in various Jewish centers in Poland.

Meetings of the local Jewish organizations were held in Wroclaw, Stettin and Lignicz. In all three of these large Jewish centers, the agendas contained the problem of “convincing the Jewish masses that emigration is not the best solution.” All of the meetings also had high praise for the vocational training activities being conducted by ORT, but pointed to those activities as “proof” that emigration was not necessary, claiming that job potentials for Polish Jews have been bettered because of ORT’s work.

At Wroclaw, the local meeting was told that, in the last few months, about 150 Jewish families have surrendered their emigration permits because they “became convinced” that they would be better off in Poland than “in other countries.” The Wroclaw meeting was told by one speaker that former Jewish emigres in Israel, Canada, Australia and Uruguay have written “bitter” letters about their disillusionment and desires to return “home to Poland.”

In Stettin, as in Wroclaw, the Jews were told “their place is in Poland. “The Stettin meeting further declared:” In this land, where socialism is being built, the Jewish masses must be told that their position would be worsened, not improved, by emigration.” The Jewish organization at Lignicz decreed more vigorous implementation of recent Communist Party decisions opposing emigration.