Purely Commentary
USSR Anti-Zionism: Its Chief Roots
It is difficult to understand the Russian campaign
against Zionism, a phenomenon given priority in the Com-
munist anti-Semitic trends •— because officially anti-
Semitism is proscribed and it is necessary to find a
substitute in the antagonism to Jews. Russia was next
in line, after the United States, in recognizing Israel.
Soviet Russian leaders were friendly to the Jewish liber-
tarian cause for a few brief years. Then came the pro-
Arab stand. In spite of the rebuke to Arabs and the re-
jection of their attitudes in the United Nations by Andrei
Gromyko, the new policy is one of bitter hatred for Zion-
ism and its application in the form of persecution against
Jews.
Especially shocking is the appearance in Russia of a
new anti-Semitic novel which contains the outrageous link-
ing of Zionists with Nazis, accusing Jews of having col-
laborated with Adolf Eichmann in an arrangement to send
healthy young Jews to pre-Israel Palestine while condon-
ing the commitment of others to gas chambers. The out-
rageous approval of such Communist-supported literature
met with at least one condemnation from a Soviet Jew
who refused to yield to the brutal propaganda against
Zionism. An electrical engineer, Mikahil Agursky, who
pointed to the "great potential danger to Soviet Jews" in
this sort of anti-Semitic propaganda, declared in Moscow:
"This novel seeks to release the Nazis from their responsi-
bility for their massacres. The Soviet press is strictly
regulated and such a novel could not be published without
official approval. Simply because of that fact, its publica-
tion is highly alarming."
While it is difficult to figure out such an attitude,
there is the historic background. Zionist leadership de-
veloped in Russia more extensively than anywhere else.
But Russian Zionists faced the bitterest opponents not so
much from Christians, or from the extreme Orthodox who
insisted upon a Messiah as the redeemer, as from the
Jewish Bund. Some of the Bundist hatreds persist. Much
of it had been transported to other lands, including the
United States. Perhaps the heritage from Bund anti-
Zionism still dominates the Communist ranks, even though
the Bund also was opposed by official Stalinist forces and
in a sense was driven underground.
Much of the anti-Zionist propaganda from Russia has
been disseminated by the official USSR Novosti News
Agency. Embassies are, of course, the media for the
distribution of that propaganda. There are other sources
of anti-Zionist propaganda that have emerged from the
Soviet Union, and among the most antagonistic is a 175-
page paperback issued under the title "Caution: Zionism,"
in English by Progress Publishers of Moscow*. The Russian
name of this publishing firm is Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga.
The reader of this brochure is prepared in advance for
prejudgment. The publishers present the view that Zion-
ism is a movement "of the wealthy Jewish bourgeoisie,"
that "it is a bellicose reactionary force working against
the genuine national interests of all peoples, the Israeli
people included."
On that basis, this book, written by Yuri Ivanov,
keeps maintaining that Zionism is a movement of the
wealthy, that it is chauvinistic, anti-communist, linked
with imperialistic powers, especially the United States.
And the contention is that the working classes have re-
jected the idea, the implication being that those who have
adhered to it or settled in the Holy Land have been duped.
What this English language booklet published by a
Russian firm indicates from start to finish is that it is
possible to take statements and apply them distortedly
to a non-existent situation. It serves a Kremlin purpose
to spread fantasies as truths in an attempt to arouse
suspicions, fears, hatreds.
In many respects, the new pamphlet is amusing. Here
is an example of the nonsense it propagates. Speaking
about the "institution of the synagogue," Yuri Ivanov
describes it as having "vastly enhanced the communal
nature of the observance of Jewish religious rites and
gripped the Jewish communities in the vice (sic!) of a
still more obligatory ritual, and adds: "Needless to say,
the entire authority of the synagogue was used exclusive:y
to further the interests of the wealthy minority." Once
clinical evidence indicating a
link between immunological
surveillance and cancer de-
velopment. In a study car-
ried out over the last five
years, Prof. Trainin and his
colleagues have shown that
the thymus gland, found in
the chest cavity of mam-
mals, releases hormones
which regulate the develop-
ment of white blood cells,
which in turn play a key role
in suppressing cancer.
The Weizmann Institute re•
searcher has reached the
conclusion that when the
thymus ceases to operate,
either because it is removed
or because of its natural
shrinkage due to aging, the
immune response diminishes
and then there is a greater
probability of tumors devel-
oping.
Boris Smolar's
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again, it is the "wealthy" who are fought, and it is called
a "minority," in defiance even of the newly developed
pro-Zionist feelings now in evidence in the USSR.
That's why it is difficult to reply to a brochure like
"Caution: Zionism" in its totality: because it is so full
of misquotations, phrases attributed to Ahad Ha'Am
about a special Jewish mission "entrusted by God," a
"crown of creation" idea credited to Martin Buber ane
so many misapplications to eminent Jews that those
acquainted with the facts will simply be puzzled why so
much venom should be cloaked in a Russian attitude
toward a libertarian idea. It was hailed as a freedom
movement by Gromyko when Israel was defended in 1948,
but it serves another purpose now to deny that what this
pamphlet and its author are trying to submerge, in spite
of the reality of it, is that their campaign is simply one of
anti-Semitism.
It is typical of those who follow the anti-Zionist and
anti-Israel line under guise of disapproving the results
of the June 1967 war that Ivanov's appeal to hatred should
conclude with assertions about "intriguing" Zionist leaders
who are "disregarding everything in their drive for profit
and power" and that "everywhere there are people who
do not doff their caps before the owners of bulging purses
and extensive kennels and will not permit them to lurk in
the shadows again, just as nations and history will not
permit them to escape retribution." It is not only the
usual anti-Semitic line, but a threat that sounds like the
Black Septemberists torturing American diplomats they
had held as hostages 'in Khartoum.
Perhaps the stupidities stemming from a Mezhduna-
rodnaya Kniga pamphlet would not have been foisted upon
an unsuspecting readership if had not been for the en-
couragement that the Ivanovs receive from the Jewish
Communists. We turn to Heimland, the Yiddish magazine
published in Moscow, and we find it filled with similar
nonsense. The aims of this un-Jewish (anti-Jewish!)
Yiddish magazine become apparent in the handling of the
language, 'in the manner in which Hebrew words are
distorted to make certain that they do not retain the
traditional spelling or sound. Here is a piece to show
how the idolizing of Sholem Aleichem is defiled:
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The Joint Distribution Committee faces an even more
acute problem. In addition to its operation in Israel, it ex-
tends aid to Jews in 25 other countries where the dollar
has lost at least 10 per cent of its old value. The JDC
finances the maintenance of Soviet Jews and Jews from
Moslem countries, in Rome, Vienna and France—who, for
one reason or another—cannot proceed to Israel and are
awaiting immigration visas to the United States, Canada
and Latin America. It helps feed thousands of Jews in
Romania, mostly the aged and sick, in free soup-kitchens.
It maintains various relief programs in various parts of
the world where the dollar has been reduced in value.
The same is true of ORT, which is subsidized by JDC
to the extent of about $3,000,000 a year; also with regard
to the United Hias operations overseas. All of these organi-
zations will either have to curtail their programs in over-
seas lands other than Israel, or they will have to seek more
funds in the United States to make up for the loss in the
dollar value.
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That's the aim: to brand libertarian principles as
"reaction" if it serves a Kremlin aim. And Jewish lackeys
lead in spreading the fantasies, nonsense and hatreds. It
doesn't make the defense against such trash more diffi-
cult, but it adds a sense of pain that Jews should be
collaborators in movements aimed at the destruction of
Israel and the Jewish legacies.
A possible key to combat-
ing multiple sclerosis was
suggested by Prof. Michael
Sela, head of the Weizmann
Institute's chemical immu-
nology department and dean
of its biology faculty, in
another lecture at the AMA
conference. •
Prof. Sela said experimen-
tal allergic encephalomyelitis
can be induced in animals by
the administration of a pro-
tein isolated from the brain
or from the spinal cord. This
disease can be used as a
model, at least in some re-
spects, for multiple sclerosis,
and therefore by learning
about one it may be possible
to learn about the other.
Instittite, will map out a plan
to deal with the increasingly
severe world water prob-
lems, it was announced by
Dr. Sam Nilsson, secretary
general of the International
Federation of Institutes for
Advanced Study, which is
sponsoring the project.
Dr. Nilsson was visiting
Israel with a group of scien-
tists from the U.S. and Eur-
ope, who were meeting with
Israeli colleagues to set the
program into motion.
FIAS decided to tackle the
world water shortage in the
wake of a memorandum sub-
mitted by Prof. Israel Dos-
trovsky, acting president of
the Weizmann Institute. The
first major meeting will take
An international team of place in Stockholm in May
research scientists, led by a under the auspices_ of the
group from the Weizmann Nobel Foundation.
and Me'
Bringing Jews to Israel from the Soviet Union, from
North Africa and other countries involves keeping
for some time in transit centers in European coun....--is
where the dollar is now worth less than before its devalua-
tion. This means that the cost of taking care of immigrants
in transit will go up. Considering that tens of thousands
of Soviet Jews must be processed by the Jewish Agency in
Vienna when they leave Russia and before they are flown
to Israel, the difference in the cost of their stay in Vienna
may run into several million dollars. The same is true with
regard to Jews who come from Morocco and other Moslem
countries and are sheltered temporarily in transit centers
in France before they proceed to Israel.
Sholem Aleichem would turn over in his grave if he
were to know how his contributions to Jewish literature
are being abused and how his name is treated.
Or take the reprint below from Heimland regarding
Zionism and note how Zion is spelled (like tziyen!) and
how the editors resort to an appeal to prejudice by giving
the impression that the Zionist idea seeks to revive a
2,000-year-old "reaction."
123137'illt,.9
13N111:1) Tr. 11
--,
• •
Also affected to a considerable extent by the devalua-
tion of the dollar is the Jewish Agency. This, despite the
fact that the Jewish Agency spends most of its dollars—
which it receives from the United Jewish Appeal funds—in
Israel, where the local currency has been adjusted to the
devalued dollar.
ion:""tim,p
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'Between You
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Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA
_______, (Copyright 1973, JTA Inc.)
I
DEVALUATION CLOUDS: The devaluation of the Ameri-
can dollar has created severe problems for Americanjew-
ish organizations conducting relief and rehabilitation work
in overseas countries; especially for the. Joint Distribution
Commttee, the United Hias, and ORT.
Pottn 7nti
Weizmann Institute Takes Strides in Fight Against Disease
REHOVOT — Advances in
research on cancer and mul-
tiple sclerosis, as well as
plans to tackle world water
problems, were reported by
the Weizmann Institute of
Science here.
The possibility that a hor-
mone-like substance secreted
by the thymus gland may
play an important role in the
body's immunological de-
fenses, and also perhaps in
the process of immunization
against cancer, was suggest-
ed by Prof. Nathan Trainin
of the institute's department
of cell biology.
In a lecture at the first
international health confer-
ence of the American Medi-
cal Association in Tel Aviv,
Prof. Trainin said that that
there is experimental and
,-..._,........_.--.......,....—_...---,..........,-...-----n-
By Philip
Slomovitz
THE JEWISH LIFELINE: There can be no question'of cur-
tailing Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union; of reducing
the relief programs which the JDC conducts for needy Jew-
ish communities abroad; of closing down ORT vocational
training schools in some countries where the dollar is now
worth less; or of restricting the United Hias operations
abroad in helping Jewish migration to Western countries.
The budgets for 1973 of these Jewish agencies were
approved long before the devaluation of the dollar. These
budgets must be met, if the lifeline is to be kept for the
many thousands of Jews who depend on aid from American
Jewry. Meeting these budgets is possible only if Jews in
this country recognize how the dollar crisis is affecting
the poorest of the poor, and increase their contributions
proportionately to the United Jewish Appeal, the source of
funds for the JDC, ORT, Hias and other agencies engaged
in helping Jews abroad.
The difference between the sums allocated for work in
European countries in 1973 by the American Jewish agen-
cies affected by the present dollar crisis and the needs
resulting from that crisis may reach as high as $10,000,000.
The sum may not seem too high, considering the generous
giving for philanthropic purposes that American Jews are
used to. However, it can have a catastrophic effect if not
realized.
Fortunately the dollar has not been devalued wit—AL
the United States. For Jews in this country -interested in
maintaining the level of relief to Jews overseas it is only
a question of increasing their contributions to cover the
difference which the devaluation of the dollar abroad has
brought about.
PASSOVER PROBLEM: One of the immediate problems
faced by JDC as a result of the devaluation of the dollar
is the provision of matzot and other Passover food to needy
Jews in a number of countrries. JDC provided Passaver
supplies last year to Jews in Romania and in eight other
countries. Another urgent problem' for JDC is to meet the
rapidly expanding program of providing relief-in-transit.
The number of beneficiaries from this program has in-
creased from 80,000 in 1971 to 138,000 in 1972. The critical
needs in this area could suffer greatly in 1973 if the finan-
cial gap created by the devaluation of the dollar in Europe
is not covered.
2—Friday, March 23, 1973
IKE DETRANT, JEWISH NEWS