Soviet Allegation Against Rabbi Glazer Refuted

On April 22nd the Jewish Telegraphic Agency received a report from Moscow which reproduced a statement of the White Russian Academy of Science which alleged that a number of rabbis had been in the service of either the Russian or American governments, mentioning, among them, Rabbi Simon Glazer. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, upon investigating this matter, established the fact that Rabbi Simon Glazer, born in Lithuania in the town of Erzwilkes in the year 1878, immigrated to the United States when he was 21 years of age, and never resided in Russia. He was never connected with any department of the American government.

Rabbi Glazer has had a distinguished career, having taken an active part in a number of important Jewish developments. It was largely due to his efforts and particularly to his initiative that in 1922 both houses of the American Congress unanimously adopted the resolution expressing the sympathy of the United States for the establishment of the Jewish National home in Palestine. It was also due to his efforts that the anti-Shechita law in Canada was defeated in 1913 in the High Court in Halifax.

Last year Rabbi Glazer took a trip to Lithuania in the interests of the Jewish community in that country, where he was the guest of President Smetona; he also went to Poland and Russia. It was his visit to Minsk and the observations he made while in Russia which made him the target of attacks by the Soviet officials and newspapers when, on his return, he issued a statement in Paris revealing the severity of persecution of the Jewish religion in Russia. The statement of the White Russian Academy has obviously been issued in Soviet Russia with the purpose of damaging Rabbi Glazer’s reputation. In more than three decades in many vital movements he has served Jewish interests unselfishly and at a great sacrifice.

In Russia, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was informed by Rabbi Glazer, assurances were given him that the Jewish section of the Communist party which played the main role in the confiscation of synagogues and in the persecution of religious Jews would be dissolved, an action which was taken soon afterwards.

Rabbi Glazer emphatically denies that illegal conferences were held by him with rabbis in Minsk. On the contrary, Rabbi Glazer, before proceeding to Russia, informed the Russian authorities of his desire to study Jewish conditions in Russia and it was with their express consent that he proceeded there, where he carried on all his activities in the fullest light and in contact with the Government. Rabbi Glazer was requested to make his journey to Russia by the Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis at Lackawacstan in Pennsylvania in 1927, over which he presided.