Soviet officials at Moscow airport confiscated a copy of “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and also a copy of “Marx’s Early Writings.” But the owner of the books, Shlomo Avineri of the Hebrew University, believes that the works of Communism’s founding father were barred from the Communist “motherland” because the officials simply did not recognize them. Both books are Hebrew translations. Avneri was in Moscow last week to attend an academic convention at the invitation of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The airport watchdogs allowed him to keep another Hebrew volume–a sidur.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
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.