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Liberation in Moscow
The first time I arrived in
Moscow as a correspondent of
the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
was in March 1928, a few days
before Passover.
The Soviet government was
not yet recognized then by the
United States, and was eager to
receive diplomatic recognition
in Washington, and my appli-
cation for a Soviet visa was
sent from New York direct to
the Foreign Commissariat in
Moscow and received immediate
attention. We, in the JTA, were
surprised when in less than two
weeks after I sent off my ap-
plication, a cable came from
Moscow advising that I could
pick up my Soviet visa at the
Soviet Embassy in Berlin en
route to the USSR-
Upon my arrival in Berlin,
I was told by friends that
they had received information
through - their own channels
that Saadieh Mase, son of the
late Moscow Chief Rabbi Jacob
Mase. had been arrested. I was
asked to keep this information
confidential until I reached
Moscow in the hope that my
intervention in Moscow and a
threat that I would inform the
outside world about the arrest,
might induce the Soviet au-
thorities to release him. It was
indicated to me that the Sov-
iet's granting me a visa with
such unprecedented speed
might mean that my interven-
tion would he effective.
The late Moscow Chief
PASSOVER
Rabbi Mase was a world re- considered one of the aristo-
nowned figure. Re was not cratic sections of the city in the
Czarist days. The sudden arrest
only admired by the Jews in
Russia, but was also highly of Saadieh Mase in Moscow,
respected even by high Rus- shortly before Passover 1928
sian officials under the was, therefore, taken in Berlin
as a bad omen for Jewish
Czarist regime. Ile played a
tremendous role at the his- communal leaders in the Soviet
toric Beilis Trial in 1913 in Union.
S * *
Kiev, where Mendel Beilis, a
When I reached Moscow I
factory watchman, was the
victim of trumped up charges discovered that very few of the
that he kidnapped and killed leading Jews there knew of
a Christian boy to use his Saadieh's arrest. The matter
blood for Matzohs. The trial was kept secret and the family
involved not only the accused of the arrested man—his aged
mother and his wife — were
Jew but was also considered
warned not to talk about it to
a malicious libel against all
Russian Jewry and against anyone.
The first, visit I made in
Jews in general. It aroused
the revulsion of the entire Moscow was to the Foreign
Office, at Kuznetsky Pereulok,
civilized world.
Chief Rabbi Mase played no to express appreciation for the
small part in proving at the speedy granting of my visa. The
trial that the accusation had no official to whom I was directed,
basis in fact and that Jews do seemed to have already been
not use any blood for Matzohs. informed about my arrival.
A graduate of Moscow Univer- After explaining to me the rules
sity and the author of numer- and regulations about the cen-
ous hooks on Judaism in the sorship which foreign corres-
Russian language, which also pondents must obey, he asked
appeared in Palestine in He- in a most friendly tone:
brew translation, he died in
"Is there anything else I can
Moscow soon after the Bolshe- do for you?"
vicks came to power. He was
I decided to utilize the friend-
never molested by the Commu- ly atmosphere and to embark
nist regime because of his on the subject of the arrest of
worldwide reputation. After his the son of the Chief Rabbi.
death in 1924, his wife and son
The Soviet official said: "You
Saadieh, were permitted by the mean to say that you would like
Soviet regime to remain in the
same apartment in the Arbat to see him released?"
"Yes," I replied, "I would
Square in Moscow, which was
Al:OPTED AND
ILLU STAr A710 QV
YEARS PASSED AND THE ISRAELITES GREW
AND PROSPERED-UNTIL A NEW PHARAOH CAME
TO RULE EGYPT....
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1962,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
feel much happier if • my first cable the news abroad which
story from Moscow were about he, as chief censor, would pass.
When I picked up the tele-
Mase being released, than
about him being arrested. Be- phone to verify the news of the
sides, I think Jews throughout release, I introduced myself for
the world will enjoy reading the first time to the old Mrs.
for Passover that the son of the Mase and told her that I want
much admired Moscow Chief to convey to her the good news
Rabbi is home for the Seder that her son will be released
rather than to read that he is today.
"We all thank you," she said
held somewhere in prison."
"When is Passover?" the over the phone. "He is already
Foreign Office official asked home. And we know what you
me, trying to indicate that he did to help our family reunion.
himself was a Jew but knows It would therefore give me
nothing about Jewish religion. great pleasure to invite you to
our Seder as honored guest and
"A few days from today."
"All right," said the official, to thank you in person for your
this time seriously, "give me interest in the fate of my son."
The Soviet official, seeing the
three days and I'll tell you
either that he is released or bright smile on my face, did
that he is arrested and why. not have to do much guessing.
In the meantime promise me "I told you he may be home
that you will send nothing by now," he said. "And now
abroad about the entire affair." you can cable the news of his
_When I called on him three release."
*
days later, he was not ready
I cabled the news of the
with any answer but assured me
that the answer—positive or release of the Chief Rabbi's
negative — would , definitely be son, and I spent the First Seder
given to me next day. The next in the Arbat home of the Mase
day when I telephoned him as family—a Seder I shall long
to whether I could come over remember. For Saadieh, his
to see him, he said encour- wife and his mother, that Seder
was especially meaningful. It
agingly:
"Yes, come over. I have good was for them a real holiday of
"liberation."
news for you."
Af terw ar d I intervened
In his office later he told
me that the son of the rabbi through the same Soviet chan-
nels
for permission to Saadieh
was probably now already at
his home, a free man, to cele- and his wife to leave Russia
brate Passover with his mother for Palestine. The permission
I and his wife, and that I could was granted.
SOON AN AIR OF REVERENCE SETTLED ABOUT
THE CHILDR EN OF ISRAEL.... AN ANGEL OF THE
LORD APPEARED AND CHOSE MOSES TOGO O-
MR! PHAR AOH.
BUT PHARAOH REFUSED TO FREE THE
ISRAELITES AND AS PUNISHMENT, IN-
CREASED THEIR LABORS....
FAMINE HAD STRUCK
A THE
THE LAND OF
CANAAN.... AND IN DES-
PERATION, A SAND OF
WEARY ISRAELITES
WENT FORTH INTO
EGYPT IN SEARCH OF
MORE FRUITFUL
HARVESTS.—
AN A ✓ P GEAroPE
AFTER PHARAOH REFUSED TO FRE! THE
ISRAELITES, MOSES, WITH THE MIRACULOUS
!POWERS GIVEN TO HIM BY THE LORD, SET
PON THE EGYPTIANS.. TEN PLAGUES.-
-
-.AND FEARING THE JEWS MIGHT GROW
TOO POWERFUL,GRADUALLY REDUCED
THEM TO SLAVERY....
IgUT THE ANGEL OF DEATH PASSED OVER TI-IE
ISRAELITES AND STRUCK - ONLY THE EGYP-
TIANS....
.t.THE LAST BEING THE DEATH OFALL FIRST
An A./ P FEATURE
DORN IN THE LAND....
WITH PHARAOH'S ARMY CLOSE AT THEIR
HEELS, THE JEWS FOUND A NEW OBSTACLE
PASS-
THEIR PATH TO FREEDOM THE 1M _
IDLE RED SEA ....I
THEN ANOTHER MIRACLE ALLOWED THE
ISRAELITES TO PASS THROUGH SAFELY.•••
THE SEA WAS D I VIDED....
NEN, AGAIN MOSES WENT BEFORE
PHARAOH-AND THIS TIME, FEAR .
ING MOSES' STRANGE POWERS,
HE SET THE ISRAELITES FREE....
SHORTLY AFTER, THEY HAD GONE, PHARAOH HAD A
CHANGE IN HEART, AND HE SENT A LARGE ARMY
TO SIZING THEM BACK....
AND THE ISRAELITE; FREE OF THE
OUT AS PHARAOH'S ARMY CAME DOWN
THE EMBANKMENT THERE WAS NO LONGER THREAT OF SLAVERY TRAVELED ON
A PATH AND THE RUSHING WATERS COVER- TO MT. SINAI, WI4EPIE MOSES WAS
_ .. (TEN COM•
ED THE ENEMY COMPLETELY.... GIVEN THE elltALOGUE
N MENT
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