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Jewish History
Dr Kozerod O.
JEWISH COMMUNITY OF UKRAINE : 1921-1929
In 1921 power of Bolsheviks was outspreaded all over the country. Important problems risen before Jewish community on realization of measures hindering its decay and process of ideologizing of all spheres of public life. In policy on national problem Bolsheviks originated from Lenin's position about presence of bourgeois and proletarian cultures in each of national cultures. Qeteheviks relegated religion chiefly to the first one. In 1921 instructions on struggle against any manifestations of the Jewish religious idea were sent to local governments from Kharkov. Decree of the Jewish section of the Department on National Education of the Chernigov region of 9 April 1921 declared: "... to liquidate yeshibots (Jewish high schools) existing in our city. In any case do not save them under any excuse". The first non-party conference, which passed from May 31 till June 4 of 1922 in the Lubny district, stated: "Taking into consideration that kheders (Jewish primary schools) brake matter of normal education of children, their existence hereafter is categorically forbidden". The decree also prohibited "tutoring of children till 18years in religion where that was".
At once after the end of Civil war a stream of refugees from Ukraine, that was in more preferable geographical position before Russia and more populated, rushed to the West. A newspaper "The Jewish Tribune" informed those days: "As it is known, crowds of Jews from Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania saving themselves from pogroms have rushed to Germany. German reactionaries have lifted noise, demanding to dispatch "the east Jews". The native land of classical anti-Semitism - reactionary Germany - continues to chew its "theoretical cud". And French, English, Polish and Romanian anti-Semites are blindly tailing along German ones". As a whole coming of the national policy of Bolsheviks into being took place in a situation of changing of hard policy of "war Communism", native to realia of civil opposition, for policy of liberalism and economic innovations. In spite of this, methods demonstrated by leadership of Bolsheviks were evidence of their resoluteness to change the whole style of life of Jewish commune, established during many millenniums of galut (banishment).
West specialists valued the first steps directed to the state monopolization of trade and federalization of Soviet Russia sooner negatively. "Soviet national policy is an unworthy play, - was noted in one of the articles of a Warsaw collection on nationality problem, -more harmful, than oppression of the old regime which pressed physically hut did not corrupt soul. It is necessary only to wonder as here and there people, deeply dedicated to deal of national reviving, else believe false words and the whole properties of Soviet authorities". Really, matter of reviving becomes very complex considering established relations in society in courses of wars and pogroms. Boris Mirsky wrote, noting consequences of Jewish pogroms and share of responsibility of Soviet Russia population: "... there are no court, no authority, no even organized public opinion in Russia pressed by Bolsheviks. This hour will come in emancipated Russia. And this Court will he. And it will be not Jewish matter, but duty of Russian conscience". Completion of Civil War has put Jews before a choice: to participate in construction of socialist future or to emigrate. It is necessary to note that beginning of transformations of economy, public style of life have forced many people to do its choice already in 1921. This has influenced upon range of emigration motion, which scales got enormous in 1921. Jewish "Press-agency in Ukraine" in its bulletin of the 28-th of February reports: "Situation is so that all Jewish population of the small town of Kamenets-Podolsky does not want to stay under Soviet power and wants to leave. Atmosphere of provocations, crimes and, in general, that mood "Emergency Commissions" have created, can not force the Jewry to stop emigration". Several weeks later a newspaper "Svoboda" ("Liberty") informed: "... a small town ofSkala is now asylum for all, which are forced to leave Kamenets-Podolsky. All classes of population of Kamenets-Podolsky are presented here... Population is terrorized with shooting up mainly Jewish merchants and peasants, which did not accept soviet money". Such situation was characteristic of many cities and small towns becoming parts of the new communist empire. July 8, 1921 an agency "Ukrainepress" reported that "emigration and particularly of Jewish wave takes greater amplitude with each daytime. Following facts speak of its rate: in small towns of Mashkov, Teterev, Pyatigory, Stavishche, Volodarka, where lived before 20 000 Jews in each, now you will not find there a family". This was explained also that thousands families were deprived of means of subsistence after any private trade was forbidden by Soviet power. Authorities stopped any attempts to break decree-laws much cruelly. "Such conditions were created, -noted an agency "Ukrainepress", - under which every merchant had to choice one of two ways: to emigrate or to die of hunger. Majority emigrated or left to rebels". Such situation could not disturb communities of the west settlements, which in 1921 begin a company of help to refugees and to those who wanted to emigrate. In April of 1921 a chairman of the Jewish Committee of Help Drakhler addressed to American Jews an open letter, in which the following was spoken: "... A danger of full disappearance threatened Jewish population of the Podolie region due to "red terror". Numerous "Emergency Commissions" with hundreds of agents celebrate orgies in cities and small towns. Nearly 90% Jews are ranked to the bourgeoisie and they are considered as profiteers. 19 February in a small town of Kamenets-Podolsky "Emergency Commission" shooted up 16persons from a number of conspicuous Jewish figures. Terror makes Jews to tend to emigration, however authorities fight against it". Keen criticism of Zionism was unrolled in press. In one of the letters published in the newspaper "Izvestia" (Elisavetgrad), former Zionist repented publicly, noting: "It becomes easier for me, when after long-lasting disease I have thrown of myself the whole medieval trash referring to Zionism literature". The first trials on figures of Zionist movement began in Ukraine; deprivations of civil rights and closings of organizations were the first stage of straggle against leaders of Zionism in Soviet country.
In spite of all difficulties and low economic showings Soviet power puts before itself problems of political and ideological changing of the whole society of the East Ukraine. Realization of the Bolshevik policy was first of all reflected in activity of traditional Jewish institutes - synagogues, charitable societies, hospitals etc. "Separation of Church from State, - former owner of a tobacco factory in Kharkov German Porath noted in his letter "Jewish clergy in the USSR", - was not made in Soviet Russia by the same way as in other states of civilized world. Here wild mobs ... threw themselves in our defenseless houses of prayer and charitable institutions and destroyed all of them. During the Easter barbarians named themselves "comrades of all working people" rushed into a free of charge dining room placed in Kulikovskaya Street. They have profaned dishes, dispersed Jewish personnel, ... threw "khomets" on the table. Talmud "• - Tor ah was torn to pieces, teachers were arrested". First of all reprisals touched Jewish educational institutions, and there is nothing of surprising in it. Anti-Semites always understood that separation the Jewry from Torah would be the strongest blow against them. "According to reports of a newspaper "Ernes" in Yuzovka, - noted "The Jewish Tribune", - teachers ofkheders were subjected to court because of continuing of their functioning despite of repeated orders". In Konotop (Poltava region) teachers accused of teaching in yeshibots were sentenced by two years of prison. By decree of the Council of the National Commissars of January 21, 1921 authority restricted civil rights of Jewish religious figures. Next prohibitions were established for them: 1) to occupy any post in the Departments of National Education, Justice, Agriculture, Management and Foodstuffs; 2) generally to occupy any post outside of any regional and district cities and small towns; 3) to occupy any post paid above the 16-th category on distribution of wage rates. As a result clergy was referred not only to the lowest category of "workers" in Soviet Russia. In the latter it forms a group of people especially belittled in a legal attitude. So, according to an explanation No. 264 of the 8 April of 1920, "any exceptions on labor duty are not established for clergy" [17]. The following stage was an interference of authority's organs on institute of Jewish family and community. So, in October 19, 1922 an agency "Judische Presscentral Zurich" (No. 211) informed: "A rabbi recently arrived in Palestine confirms a fact of prosecution of Jews by Soviet authorities. So, a 90-year's old man was arrested because of the fact he forced his grandsons to pray. Large taxes are imposed on synagogues, a half-million on each. Rabbi is responsible for fulfillment of these instructions".
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