Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Polish Jews Adopting Christianity Conceal Fact from Jewish Community and Continue Paying Jewish Comm

Advertisement

Large numbers of Polish Jews who for various reasons have recently been adopting Christianity, have not notified their conversion to the Jewish Communities and continue to pay their dues to the Jewish Communities, so that in their own Jewish circles they are still believed to be Jews, while outside they are able to enjoy certain professional and other advantages which are open only to people holding a certificate of baptism.

This fact is brought out in a report which has become available here of the success which has been attending the conversionist activities of a certain Catholic Priest named Kornulowicz among the Jewish youth. Several of the converts have entered Catholic seminaries to prepare for the priesthood, it is stated. Others, however, have become baptised only to gain certain professional advantages, and some in order to be able to marry Catholic girls, and most of these have kept their conversion a secret from their Jewish friends and from the Jewish Community, on whose books they continue to appear as regular paying members.

An order is now in preparation which will compel the bureaus and agencies in charge of the various formalities connected with the carrying out of the act of conversion to notify all such cases to the Jewish Communities.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement