A distinguished Jewish refugee from Poland reported at a symposium here yesterday that the Warsaw regime’s anti-Semitic campaign was having its most serious effects on assimilated Jews, mostly staunch Communists, who never expected it and were bewildered to find themselves ostracized.
Michael Sylberberg, a writer, said the anti-Jewish drive in Poland was “nursed as much by crude anti-Semitism as by the pro-Arab policies of the Government, which a number of its members apply reluctantly, though some Polish intellectuals are disgusted.” The speaker was one of several well-known Polish Jews who stopped off in Paris on their way to permanent settlement in other countries. The symposium on the theme of “Polish Jews, Past and Present” was conducted by the World Jewish Congress. Mr. Sylberberg said the goal of the Polish Government was to make Polish life “Judenrein” but with a few exceptions, notably some popular Jewish actors whose exile would be noted abroad. Another speaker; a historian, observed that in leaving Poland, “the Jews are also leaving behind priceless historical documents, not only of the recent calamity but of generations past; archival material accumulated over a thousand years.”
Anti-Semitism in East Germany was discussed by Samuel Fiderer who said it was officially inspired. He disclosed that the famous author, Arnold Zweig, who died recently in East Germany, was interred in the Pantheon of Communist leaders although his last request had been for burial in a Jewish cemetery. Mr. Fiderer said that a minyan of Jews from West Germany was permitted to recite kaddish.
The symposium adopted a resolution expressing appreciation for the stand most Frenchmen have taken against Gen. de Gaulle’s pro-Arab policies and his recent embargo on military equipment and spare parts to Israel. Abraham Bern, a poet, and Marcel Orolitski a communal worker reported that hundreds of former active French-Jewish Communists left the party because of its anti-Israel stand following the June, 1967 war and were now working for Israel.
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.
