The Daily News Letter Max Brod on Jewish Life in Soviet Russia

Praha.

Dr. Max Brod, the famous author, who just returned from a visit to Soviet Russia, has given me an interview, on his return, in which he says:

I am not able to say much about the Jewish question in the Soviet Union, because it was too general, but I intend to go shortly again to Russia, and I will then get into contact with those factors which have to decide in Soviet Russia the questions of Jewish autonomy. But I spoke with many Jews in the Soviet Union and I also discussed the Zionist problem. The Soviet Russian journalists admitted that they are badly informed about the progress in Palestine. You cannot get away from the fact that Soviet public opinion is not favorable to Zionism.

My own attitude is as follows:

Jewish distress all over the world is so great that any attempt which seems likely to improve the position of the Jews in any way and to direct Jews to productive occupations must be welcomed. In my opinion therefore, a kind of modus vivendi could be created between Soviet Russia and Zionism, on the lines of an exchange of agricultural and cultural experiences.

The Soviet Union has found such a modus vivendi with non-Socialist States. Unfortunately I must state, however, that on the Zionist side there is probably some understanding for the problems of Jewish settlement in Soviet Russia, but unfortunately that does not apply the other way round.

But in the Soviet Union everything is in flux, not only practical things, but also theories. That gives hope. It is no accident that Gorky recently praised Bialik in a public speech. The Jewish Communists in the Soviet Union still insist that only Yiddish is the language of the Jewish people, and that Hebrew literature is an artificial product. In the Yiddish section of the Academy at Kieff, I found that Yiddish literature was being carefully looked after, but the Hebrew language is considered a sign of reaction. I was shown an anthology of Hebrew poems by Soviet Russian authors. This is the only book that has been able to appear in Hebrew in the Soviet Union, and in spite of its Communist tendency, it was prohibited soon after publication, because of the language.

I believe that this state of affairs cannot last, because the truth breaks through and the thesis that Hebrew is not a living language, that it is only the language of theology, is untrue and must therefore fall away. Then the attitude to the old Hebrew literature, the Bible and Talmud will also change. It will be impossible also to close eyes and ears forever to the modern Palestinian Hebrew literature.

I do not want to deal at any length with the allegations that Soviet Russia, Bolshevism and Judaism are identical ideas. That is nonsense. In the highest government quarters (the Polit Bureau and among the People’s Commissaries) Jews are an exception.

A high official said to me: “The Jews are good collaborators, but the Soviet Union is ruled by Russians and other non-Jews.” I must say that I met Jews in Russia who give every effort, tremendous idealism, energy and statesmanlike qualities, really constructive qualities, with selflessness and single-mindedness to the idea which they consider right—Communism. One must admire such devotion. These Jews who are of the same type as those who are building Palestine, have something which the Western Jews have lost. I will not venture to say that they are finally cut off from their people and their history, standing at lost posts and in spite of their constructive work for the Russian people, working for their own destruction.