All seven synagogues in the Soviet capital were crowded to capacity, many being unable to gain admittance, during the Rosh Hashanah services and the memorials held for the victims of the Palestine outbreaks. Private congregations were not formed this year, for the first time in many years, because the house committees were instructed not to permit the converting of homes into places of worship.
On the other hand, Jewish Communists report that thirty-nine enterprises, employing 6,000 Jews and non-Jews, worked on Rosh Hashanah, the wages of which were given by the workers toward the fund now being raised for construction of the “Bidjan” aeroplane. The report estimated that 2,600 Jews worked at the railroad stations unloading cars. Work had been contracted there for 4,000 Jewish workers.
The “Tass,” Soviet news agency, reports that in Leningrad 15,000 Jewish workers were at their posts during the holiday. This estimate is considered here to be exaggerated.
In Minsk it is reported that many artisans worked both days of Rosh Hashanah. Some, however, went first to the synagogue and then to work. In Odessa 19 enterprises, where the majority of workers are Jews, were in operation. In Charkov only the collectives worked, while individual artisans abstained. Similar was the situation in Kiev and in other cities.
Not a single clash has been so far reported, but Moscow Jewish Communist leaders complain openly that the labor unions have entirely ignored the anti-High Holiday campaign, with the result that the largest factory, Koskvoshvei, refused to participate in the campaign. A similar attitude was (Continued on Page 4)
POSTPONEMENT OF COLLECTIVIZATION DAY FOR JEWISH COLONISTS WELCOMED
The order of the Wzik, Central Executive Committee, postponing Collectizization Day for the Jewish colonists from October 14, on which Yom Kippur falls this year, met with great satisfaction in Jewish circles here. The order is considered a blow to the anti-religious campaign of the Jewish Communists.
The “Emes,” Communist Yiddish daily, in an editorial reprimands B. Smolar, representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, for drawing to the attention of the authorities that the Collectivization Day coincides with Yom Kippur.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
