Radio Liberty reported today that another attack on the Jewish religion has been published in a Soviet newspaper, Sovetskaya Byelorussia, the official daily organ of the Byelorussian Communist Party Central Committee.
The article, “Under the Arches of the Synagogue,” described “venality and corruption” in the Minsk synagogue and charged that worshipers were being cheated by a “small clique” which overcharged for seats and for the right to read certain prayers and that the clique staged “drinking parties” in the synagogue after services.
The article reported that “the clique” at one time considered the problem of Aron Lipschitz of Vilna, a mohel who wanted to establish himself in Minsk and perform ritual circumcisions “at 500 rubles a case.” The article quoted a synagogue leader as indicating that there were still Jews in Minsk who wanted the religious ceremony and that he was sure the mohel “will manage to find some more.”
The article sought to give the impression that the problem in transferring the mohel from Vilna to Minsk involved hoodwinking the local Soviet authorities. The synagogue leader was quoted as declaring that “for appearances sake,” the mohel planned to set up a “poultry slaughtering business” and it was hoped that the Soviet authorities would approve the transfer and the mohel’s “new occupation.
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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.
