Repatriation of Carpathian Jews Not Forced by Soviets; Admission to France Bought

Carpatho-Russian Jews now residing in Czechoslovakia are not being compelled by Soviet authorities to return to their home province, although the Russians have asked such Jews to register for repatriation, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today.

Only those who ask to be repatriated are returned to the Carpathian district, which is now a part of the Soviet Union. According to unconfirmed information, only 83 have been sent back up to now and one transport weekly has been scheduled.

Meanwhile, the status of the Carpathian Jews here is still very unclear. From the conflicting announcements and reports to the effect that they could or could not choose Czechoslovakia citizenship, the fact that emerges is that the Government was still not issued any definite ruling on the subject. Such a ruling, however, is expected shortly.

In an attempt to relieve the economic distress of the several thousand who crossed into Bohemia and Moravia following the ceding of the Carpatho-Ukraine to the USSR, officials of the Prague Jewish community left this week for Paris to request French immigration visas for these Jews, who are mainly peasants or artisans.

Even their emigration, however, is complicated by the fact that only persons holding Czechoslovak citizenship certificates can apply for passports, and such certificates are difficult to obtain. The Prague Jewish community has succeeded in speeding up the issuance of the permits in the cases of Jews who already have all other documents needed for emigration.

STRENGTH OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN BOHEMIA-MORAVIA DWINDLES; CONVERSIONS INCREASE

Another problem confronting the community is the care of the thousands of Jews from Eastern European countries who cross Czechoslovakia en route to the American zone of Germany and eventually, they hope, to Palestine. With the aid of UNRRA two camps have been established near Prague, with a capacity of 1,000 each, where the migrants can be housed and fed until they can make arrangements to continue their journey.

The Jewish communities of Bohemia and Moravia which are beset by these various difficulties are themselves not in a very healthy condition. Vital statistics for the first quarter of 1946 disclose that in the two provinces there were 25 Jewish births and 35 deaths. Two persons were converted to Jewry, while 72 left the Jewish faith, and there were only five marriages in accordance with Jewish law.

Czech Jewish community councils which have been applying for help to Jewish organizations abroad on an individual basis have been asked by the Supreme Council of Jewish Communities to channelize their requests through the Council and thereby avoid unequal distribution of relief.