Lubawitcher Rebbe Tells of His Experiences; Jewish Religion Had Hard Struggle

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

The struggle which the religious Jews of Soviet Russia had to make to maintain their positions against the onslaught of the Jewish Communists, was described today by Rabbi Schneuersohn, the famous Lubawitcher Rebbe, in the course of an interview which he gave to the press on his arrival here.

In 1921, when Russia was still completely shut off from the outside world, he said, the economic position was very bad, but the persecution in the religious sphere was a thousand times worse. There was a merciless campaign against every appearance of religious feeling. The Lubawitcher Rebbe lived at the time in Rostov, far away from the Jewish centres. He decided to go to Moscow. The first secret conferences were held there, all being Lubawitcher Hassidim numbering about 1,500 to 2,000 persons. Reports were submitted on the position of Jewish religious affairs in the various places. The rabbi then approached Rabbi Rabinovitch, who has since died, asking him to convoke a conference to consider Jewish religious questions. The rabbi replied that he dared not do this, so the Lubawitcher Rebbe took the initiative himself and ten days after the conference was held. The question was dealt with in earnest for the first time at this conference. All the conferences were held in secret. From that time, the work for the revival of Jewish religious life in Russia commenced.

The Soviet Government was never so hostile to the Jewish religion as the Jewish Communists. At present the position of Jewish religious life is no longer as bad as it was before. The synagogues and Beth Medrashim are packed. There are also Yeshibas which are permitted to maintain students of the age of eighteen, but even here they are in fact persecuted by the Jewish Communists. But the Russian Jews are able to resist persecution. What they really need are ####. In this respect they must have assistance from foreign Jewry. Something is already being done in this respect, but not to a sufficient extent, the rabbi declared.

WIDER SCOPE CAMPAIGN PROGRESSES IN NEW YORK

The Wider Scope Campaign of the Independent Order of B’nai Brith in New York City was extended through the organization of a women’s division under the leadership of Mrs. Henry L. Smith, president of the Women’s Auxiliary of New York Lodge No. 22, and the following vice-chairmen: Mrs. Max Rockmore, Miss Jessica Feldberg, Mrs. Ed. Steiner, Miss Famie Klein, Miss Amy H. Lewis, Mrs. Sol W. Eckstein. Mrs. Harry H. Meyer, was elected Treasurer, and Miss Augusta Israel, Secretary.

Another step in the organization of the Campaign was the initiation of 150 new members of the B’nai Brith Lodges and 70 new members of the Women’s Auxiliaries. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Metropolitan Conference of B’nai Brith Lodges, and was followed by a reception to Maurice Bloch, president of District No. 1.

It was presided over by L. E. Schlechter, Chairman of the Conference, and was addressed by Maurice P. Davidson, chairman of the Wider Scope Committee of District No. 1 and Rabbi Nathan Krass.