(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Boris Gutchen, a Jewish pupil of a Communist high school in Ostashkov, was the victim of a “crucifixion” staged by five Russian boys in an attempt to freeze him to death in revenge of the crucifixion of Jesus.
The “Pravda,” government organ, in reporting the incident today, gives the following details.
The five schoolboys dragged the Jewish boy to an isolated island five miles from the city. There they bound him to a tree and left him, saying: “You Zhids (Jews) crucified Jesus. Therefore, we will freeze vou to death.”
Gutchen was found unconscious, suffering from the intense cold. He refused to tell who were his persecutors, but the incident became public when the five boys boasted openly of their act, telling their comrades how they were practicing anti-Semitism.
The teacher’s council of the high school decided to expel the five boys. The “Pravda,” in commenting on the incident, demands that severe punishment should be meted out, branding the act as shameful anti-Semitism.
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.
