Russians May Seek Revival of Birobidjan,, Levine Warns

By FRANK SIMONS

A strong possibility exists
that the Soviet Union will at-
tempt to revive Jewish settle-
ment at Birobidjan, it was
suggested this week by Irving
R. Levine, Moscow correspon-
dent for the National Broad-
casting Company.
The NBC commentator, in
Detroit Sunday to address a
public meeting at Temple Beth
El, sponsored by the Men's
Clubs of Temple Israel and
Temple Beth El, told The Jew-
ish News that:

which Levine said is now being
readied for "vast reorganiza-
tion."
Instead of the current 10
years of schooling a Russian
child is given now (beginning
from age 7), plans are being

* * *

Assimilation is so slow, how-
ever, that there is the current
talk of recolonization at Biro-
bidjan, which now has a Jewish
population of 33,000 out of
150,000, compared to 50,000 out
of only 125,000 in 1940.
"Jews in Russia are con-
sidered a nationality," Levine
said, "and their identity papers
are appropriately marked
`Jew.' However, unlike other
nationality groups, the Jews
have no newspaper (except for
a bi-weekly in Birobidjan), no
theater group and only one
yeshivah which recently
opened."
There is little mistaking
Russia's actions toward Israel.
Levine said that Israel is being
thrown to the wind in an all-
out attempt to woo the Arabs.
While Russia supported Israel
in 1948, it began seriously
questioning its existence at the
time of the Suez crisis, he
added.

In his address Sunday
night, however, Levine indi-
cated that hope for peaceful
co-existence with Russia was
far from lost. lie stated em-
phatically that the Russian
people, remembering their
horrible losses in World War
II, do not want war.

The NBC correspondent also
indicated that Soviet Premier
Nikita Khrushchev is a fanati-
cal believer in Communism's"
triumph and the doom of capi-
talism. He is willing to wait
for Communism, not to make it
come about, Levine said.
"Time is on our side," Levine
assured. "As Russia gets more
material advantages, the people
will entertain more thoughts of

keeping what they have. Rus-
sia's leaders cannot ignore the

fact that the Russians want

peace."
In a question and answer

period which followed his talk,
Levine was asked if the Russian
people actually believe all the
things their leaders tell them
about the United States.
He answered that there are
two things that all Russians
believe: "Certain elements of
the U.S. Government want war
and the Negroes in the U.S.
are universally mistreated."
Another question dealt with
the Soviet educational set-up,

of years to eight. He said
that the feeling is that Rus-
sian youth now wants only
to get to the top and to get
"the soft jobs." They look
down on work, he said.

Levine was introduced to the
audience of over 1,800 by
Nathaniel H. Goldstick, presi-
dent of Temple Israel. Greet-
ings were extended by Ben
Nathanson, president of the
Men'S Club of Temple Beth El,

* * *

AJC Report Supports Rumor of Soviet Re-Settlement Plan

NEW YORK, (JTA) — The
American Jewish Committee re-
ported that it has received in-
formation from its Paris office
stating that a plan for large-
scale
settlement of Soviet Jews
1. There are persistent
rumors among the higher in Birobidjan, in Siberia, may
diplomatic echelons and be presented to the forthcoming
among the populace that, at congress of the Communist
the forthcoming Congress of Party which opens in Moscow
the Communist Party on Jan. at the end of this month. The
27, a plan will be introduced Committee expressed concern
over "the future of Soviet
to revive Birobidjan as a Jews."
Jewish community;
The congress in Moscow will
2. The 3,000,000 Jews of
Russia are fearful of such a discuss the development of So-
viet Asia within the framework
program;
3. Many of the Russian of its'projected Seven-Year Plan
Jewish populace would glad- for 1959-65. In this connection,
ly leave for Israel if they the Committee said, the plan for
a large-scale movement of Jews
were permitted to go.
to Birobidjan will be considered.
Levine said that Russia would The Committee visualized that
never consent to a mass exodus the plan could take three pos-
of the Jews because of the loss
of manpower it represents.
One of Russia's critical prob-
lems, he said, is a shortage
of manpower.
Russia, Levine added, is still
hopeful of being able to as-
similate the Jewish population.
Youngsters learn only atheism
in the schools, have no oppor-
tunity for Jewish education and
are conspicuous by their ab-
sence at holiday services, he

said.

made to cut back the number

while Morfon Barris, preSiderit
of the Temple Israel Men's
Club, conducted the question
and answer session.
Following the address, Levine
autographed copies of his new
book, "Main Street, USSR."
(See review on Page 14). The
correspondent plans to return
to Moscow on Jan. 29.
is * *

sible courses:
1. A larger Jewish settlement
than the present one, but still
only a token settlement. This
would enable the Soviet rulers
to declare the Jewish popula-
tion of the Soviet Union "wher-
ever they may reside" as mem-
bers of a -"territorial national-
ity," and on that basis "to deny

the Soviet press in praise of
Birobidjan, where Jews were
said to live a normal life and to
enjoy their Jewish identity.
Similar reports on Birobidjan
were published in the Christian
Science Monitor.
Citing Premier Nikita S.

Khrushchev's statement last
year that Jews were excessively
individualistic and unwilling to
participate in collective work,
the American Jewish Committee
pointed out that this was fol-
lowed by praise of Birobidjan in
the Soviet press.

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them their cultural and other
rights outside of Birobidjan."
2. Birobidjan would officially
be made available to the Jewish
population as a Jewish territory,
and various means of indirect
inducement would be applied to
the Jews to settle there.

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3. The forced mass resettle-
ment of Jews to Birobidjan. Ac-
cording to the report, "what is
involVed in the situation is the

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