Samuel Schwartz-bard, a watchmaker. 32 years of age, is a citizen of France. He was born in Smolensk, but lived in Paris before the war. When the war broke out he joined the French army as a volunteer and took part in many battles. He was wounded and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. During the Bolshevik revolution, he went to Russia and the Ukraine with a French military mission as an interpreter, where he saw the suffering of Ukrainian Jewry and witnessed many massacres by Petlura’s forces. He then joined the “First International Division” which was organized by the Bolsheviks in Odessa. With this unit he participated in various battles against the pogrom bands.
Disappointed in the Communist regime, Schwartzbard left Russia and returned to Paris, bringing with him his memoirs of the anti-Jewish massares in Ukairne, some of which were published in the Yiddish weekly, “Arbeiter Freund,” of London. He is said to have had at one time anarchistic sympathies.
Samuel Schwartzbard’s wife, when interviewed by the police, said that she was i###norant of her husband’s intention.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.