Not a single one of 20 Jewish folklore research experts in the Soviet Union and its satellites, invited to participate here in the forthcoming, first, World Convention on Jewish Folklore,, will come here for that scholarly parley.
The convention will open September 1. At least 15 experts from abroad, and others from Israel, are scheduled to deliver a total of 71 addresses on various aspects of Jewish folklore through the ages. President Itzhak Ben-Zvi will open the first session.
The organizers of the convention had sent invitations to experts in the Soviet Union and elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Most of the experts did not reply. Some wrote simply that they would not attend. The organizers also requested the various scientific academies in the USSR to locate Jewish folklore experts and extend the Israel invitations to them. None of the academies, except one in Uzbekistan, bothered to reply. Uzbekistan’s academy replied it could find no expert in the field qualified to participate in the convention.
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