The Choral Synagogue of Moscow, the largest in Soviet Russia, which two weeks ago received notice from the Moscow Soviet to leave the building within a fortnight, remains untouched. The Central Executive Committee is absolutely opposed to converting the famous Moscow synagogue, although the powerful Association of the Godless had decided to convert it into the headquarters of the atheists.
A high Soviet official told the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that “as long as the Church of the Saviour in Moscow, the largest in Russia, remains unconverted, you Jews need have no fears about the conversion of the Choral Synagogue.”
Despite this the Association of the Godless is determined to get the synagogue under any circumstances and it has therefore started to collect signatures among the workers in order to present a petition to the Central Executive Committee showing that the Jewish masses themselves demand the conversion of the synagogue. This effort has little chance of success, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s correspondent was assured.
Soviet Jewry is entirely unaware of the day of protest set aside today in the United States by the Jews to protest against Soviet Russia. The correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency tried to get a reaction to the day of protest from Michael Kalenin, one of the chairmen of the Central Executive Committee, but without success.
The Soviet press has discontinued the publication of reports of anti-religious acts.
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.
