Decisions which amount to steps for liquidation of Jewish cultural and religious life in Bulgaria were taken at a recent meeting of the Consistory of Bulgarian Jews, according to a report received here today.
The Consistory, the only remaining national organization of the Jewish community, engaged, according to the report, in “self-criticism.” This consisted of such “errors” as an insufficient number of lectures and articles in the past on “the imperialist nature of Zionism” and too many activities strengthening the “differentiation of Jews from other Bulgarians.”
To correct such “faults,” the Consistory recommended cancellation of financial support for Jewish religious communities, suspension of Jewish welfare activities, abolition of Jewish summer camps and cessation of providing for Jewish centers. All these activities, the Consistory recommended, should be transferred to the respective public institutions for handling.
The Consistory also proposed that, on the other hand, the Consistory and the Jewish communities should engage in such “constructive activities” as education of Bulgarian Jews “for active participation in Socialist reconstruction” and in “explaining the anti-popular nature of the Jewish religion.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
