The three Jewish students from Poland, Feinmesser, Wandel and Scharf, who have been studying at Nancy University and were reprimanded by the Nancy University authorities last month because they had taken part in a demonstration of students against Professor Loth, of the Anatomical Institute at Lemberg University, while he was attending the International Congress of Anatomists that was meeting in Nancy, have been ordered to leave France by July 1st.
It is believed that the expulsion order is the result of representations made to the French authorities by the Polish Embassy.
The position of these students, who had to leave Poland to study abroad, because it was impossible for them to obtain educational facilities in Poland, must be a very difficult one when they return to Poland, especially after what has happened.
The demonstration against Professor Loth was arranged as a protest against his antisemitic attitude, which he has frequently expressed both in his University and outside.
Professor Loth complained to the Polish Consular authorities in Nancy, alleging that Jewish students had demonstated against Poland, and the Polish Consulate, it was stated, had approached the French authorities demanding punishment for the organisers of the demonstration. Feinmesser, Wandel and Scharf were called before a disciplinary court of the University. They denied that the demonstration had been directed against Poland, and described the antisemitism that exists at the Polish universities, and the anti-Jewish disturbances that occurred last November at the universities of Warsaw, Vilna, Cracow and Lemberg. Advocate Rosambert appeared for the defence, in which the League Against Antisemitism participated.
The Disciplinary Court declined to go into the question of antisemitism, however, and decided that the case must be dealt with exclusively from the point of view of maintaining order in the University building.
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.