Jews in Poland Fear Curb on Emigration; Anti Semitism Still Sharp

Jews in Poland who are planning to leave for Israel were reported today to be fearful that the Polish Government may “drastically” modify its liberal policy of permitting Jewish emigration from the country. Their fear, the New York Times reported in a Warsaw dispatch, is based on the fact that Polish authorities have opened an investigation of the Passport Office and also because of an article which appeared in Trybuna Ludu.

Trybuna Ludu, organ of the central committee of the United Workers (Communist) Party, said Jews who felt stronger links to Israel than to Poland “have the right to emigrate.” But, the paper added: “One must also remember that departure en masse of Polish Jews could be utilized by circles unfriendly to Poland to undermine its good name.” The paper conceded that anti-Semitism had continued to increase despite a stepped-up campaign by the party’s leadership to halt discrimination against all minority groups, particularly the Jews.

The Times correspondent reported that party leaders are said to be upset that no effort was made to persuade many of those who left the country that they should stay. Prominent educators, highly skilled technicians and professional men have been lost to Poland in the exodus to Israel, they claim. “But, so far as an observer can find out, fears of drastic modifications of the emigration policy have no foundation at this time,” the correspondent added.

2,500 REPORTED EMIGRATING MONTHLY; SOME OBSTACLES INTERPOSED

The correspondent said that the monthly rate of Jewish emigration was about 3,500 but has slipped back to 2,500 and is now holding steady. “Actually,” he continued, “the emigration policy was modified slightly a few months ago. Until then even high ranking party members were being permitted to leave for Israel. It is more difficult for them to obtain passports now, especially if they were in the army or the former secret police apparatus. Nor has there been any relaxation in recently imposed regulations preventing Polish Jews who come from the Soviet Union from going on to Israel after only a brief stay here.”

Trybuna Ludu disclosed that the Communist Party secretariat had sent a letter to party organizations “summoning all members to struggle with all symptoms of nationalism, chauvinism and racialism” in Poland. “Active anti-Semitism on one side and insufficient counteraction by party and state organizations,” the paper said, “have evoked great alarm among citizens of Jewish origin and have also contributed to increasing nationalist moods in the Jewish center. Impetus to emigrations has increased against the background of these events.”

Jews have been dismissed from their jobs because of “anti-Semitic considerations,” Trybuna Ludu said. Other “symptoms” described by the paper included “shocking instances” of pressure being exerted on Jews to abandon their homes, attacks on Jews on the streets and bullying of Jewish children in schools.