Foka
24Fridayli
1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Smo ar Recalls Beating the ovtet ystem in emory.
of Incident in Which Poalei Zionists Sought His Aid
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Editor-in-Chief Emeritus; JTA)
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
(Editor's Note: Thisis a
chapter from Boris Smo-
lar's forthcoming book
describing his experi-
ences with Jewish un-
derground groups in the
Soviet Union in the years
when he was stationed in
Moscow as correspon-
dent for the Jewish Tele-
graphic Agency and the
New York World.)
A man; whom I had never
seen before, unexpectedly
appeared at the door of my
Moscow quarters inquiring
for me. "I must talk'to you
very urgently, strictly
tete-a-teter_he ,said.
In Moscow one had to be
entremely wary of such
mysterious visitors. They
could have been ordinary
Jewish citizens who were
seeking help to contact rela-
tives in America; or they
could possibly have been
provocateurs surreptiti-
ously sent by the GPU —
the Soviet political secret
service. They could also
have turned out to be emis-
saries of underground
groups who were publishing
"samizdat" literature, and
were seeking contacts with
foreign journalists; or they
could have been emissaries
from Jewish groups who
wished to have publicized
abroad their desire to be
permitted to emigrate to the
land of Israel.
"What do you want to talk
to me about?" I questioned
him cautiously as I invited
him into my office. He
looked about him uneasily;
scrutinizing the four sides of
the room, as if he were fear-
ful of the walls and then
spoke tersely: "About the
Left Poalei Zion . . . That's
what I want to talk about!"
His reply took me by
complete surprise. The
party of the Left Poalei
Zion, — a leftist pro-
Communist Zionist group
— was liquidated only a
few weeks before; that
was in the middle of the
summer of 1928. But until
then it had continued le-
gally. It was noteworthy
to read the report in the
Soviet press announcing
that this party had just
now been declared il-
legal, when in fact the
entire Zionist movement
had been illegal for more
than 10 years, ever since
the Bolshevik Revolu-
tion.
"You mean to say that
there are still Poalei
Zionists in Moscow?" I
asked my visitor cautiously,
-being yet uncertain of his
identity, and of what he
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really wanted- of me.
I directed this question
with a dual purpose. If
this person had been•sent
by the GPU, my question
could have indicated that
I was not acquainted
with any of the Poalei
Zionists and had no con-
tact with them. But, if he
had actually been sent to
me with a message from
the Poalei Zion, then he
would understand my
question as a genuine de-
sire, on my part, to know
what, had become of his
party.
My visitor looked around
my room again and replied,
this time quite openly: "The
Left Poalei Zionist Party, as
you probably know, had
been declared illegal a few
weeks ago. But just as we
had lived until now 'under
the Soviet regime, we in-
tend to continue existing
further. Hitherto — legally;
henceforth — illegally. We
are now an underground or-
gariization."
He was using the word
"we" to make it apparent
that he had come to see me
in the name of his organiza-
tion. "Officially we had been
liquidated," he repeated,
"but we shall not abandon
our activities."
I listened to him atten-
tively and was convinced
that he was not an agent of
the GPU. But there was still
one matter, quite obscure
for me, concerning which I
wanted him to enlighten
me. , -c=
"How was it," I asked,
"that the Soviet govern-
ment which had long
banned Zionism in the
country, had permitted
the existence of your
party, the Left Poalei
Zion, all these years, until
now?"
The man, whose name I
still didn't know, began to
feel more at home, and
seemed less anxious;
"The answer is quite sim-
ple," he said. "The Com-
munist regime had to count
with our existence because
our party was _ a member of
the Third International..
The Kremlin was unable to
liquidate any group affil-
iated with the Third Inter-
national. For certain lead-
ers of the Communist Party
we were like a bone in their
throats. They were neither
able to swallow us, nor to
cough us up, as long as the
Third International ac-
knowledged our member-
ship."
"How, then, was it that
they were able, at -last, to
declare you illegal?" I
sought fuiVer clarification.
"They seized upon the
fact that our party was
opposed to the settlement
of Jews in Biro-Bidjan, in
Siberia. In all basic
theoretical questions we
are members of the Third
International, very close
to the program of the
Communist Party in the
Soviet Union which had
acknowledged the Jews
as a national minority,
with equal privileges and
full cultural rights. But
when it came to the issue
of Biro-Bidjan, here our
paths parted.
"The Soviet government
says that it was planning to
establish Biro-Bidjan as the
Jewish homeland, but for
us, our homeland must be
located solely in the land of
Israel. We feel very close to
Communism, but the land
of Israel remains a cardinal
point 'in our program.
Communism and the land of
Israel are inseparable for
us. A Communist land of Is-
rael is much more impor-
tant to us than a Jewish re-
public in Biro Bidjan."
He recounted, in detail,
the resistance offered by the
leaders of his party to the
idea of coercing Jews to
travel from the Ukraine and
Byelo-Russia to settle into
the remote Biro Bidjan,
while there was an abun-
dance of free land for them
in the Jewish colonies in the
Crimea. He also spoke of
how his party had requested
that the Soviet government
allow Jews to emigrate to
the land of Israel rather
than to send them to Biro
Bidjan.
that in his party there Jewish press that you are
was a substantial associating with the Left
number of members who Poalei Zionists!" he said.
knew me, although I did "Since when have you be-
not know them.
come so interested in un-
He recounted details of derground groups?"
the conclave which they had
This was intended to
convened, and he handed mean that he was asking
me a resolution typed on a this question as a good
portable Russian typewri- friend. But I had a strong
ter, which briefly limited it- impression that someone
self to the expression of a was monitoring our con-
sharp protest against' the versation. My feeling was
liquidation of the party that he was speakin
which had been devoted to from a "GPU office, 40
the principles of Leninism. order Of one of its high of-
Not a word in the resolution ficials, who wanted to
alluded to the controversy discover whether I stood
concerning the Biro Bidjan in contact with the illegal
question. A clear point was Poalei Zionist group.
made, however, stating that
"My interest lies in every-
the party intended to con- thing pertaining to Jews in
tinue its existence, irrespec- the Soviet Union, including
tive of its being regarded il- that which had transpired
legal.
with the Left Poalei Zion," I
He left my room and I ac- replied coldly." -
companied him to the door.
"But you know that their
When he already had one party is no longer legal," he
foot on the other side of the tried to draw out the con-
threshold, he turned in the versation. "I don't believe it
way of suddenly remember- is good for you to stand in
ing something, and said: contact with them. . ."
"Yes, I noticed that you
"I don't stand in contact
hadn't asked me my name, with them; they stand in
and I understand the reason contact with me!" I said.
for it. My nafne is Levin (he "They had sent me the news
didn't state his given name), by messenger, whom I don't
and I shall not visit you _ know, but who had given me
again. Next time, another evidence that the news was
"This acute difference
of our group will authentic. And that was
in opinion in the matter of member
come
to
you.
It is best that I enough for me. My duty is to
Biro Bidjan," my visitor
am not seen entering your send all the news from Mos-
expounded, "had finally house
twice."
cow, which other Jews, far-
led to the point where the
I
had
not
promised
him
to
and wide in the world, want
Kremlin declared the -
forward abroad the full text to know. That was why I had
Left Poalei Zion Party a of
the resolution which he also transmitted the news of
`branch of Zionism' had left with m
e . But I used the first underground meet-
which was more Zionist its subject matter
in connec- ing of the Left Poalei
than Communist, and tion
with the news why the
He didn't question me
that it was pursuing a Left Poalei Zion Party had
policy contrary to Soviet been dissolved in the Soviet as to how I had sent out
the news from Moscow,
interests.
Union, to which I added the and whether the censor
"That was sufficient information that the had passed it
ground for declaring illegal banned party had already
Our conversation left an
a corporate group, without held its first underground
qualm of possible criticism meeting, where the resolu- unpleasant after-taste with
me. had a deep feeling of
by the Third International," tion had been adopted.
pity for this very gifted
he ended his explanation,
Soviet Jewish writer who
All
this
material
I
for
adding, "but we plan to
bring a complaint before the warded to the Jewish had been appointed by the
Third International, in any Telegraphic Agency GPU to keep me under sur-
offices in Warsaw and veillance; while posing as
case."
"Then, what is it that I London, by mail. I knew my friend.
A few weeks later I had a
can do for you?" I wanted to that if I were to send it by
similar
experience with
know the Purpose of his cable, the censor would
visit. I realized that he not pass it. But there was him, after I had sent out
hadn't come merely to in- a possibility that, dis- news from Russia about a
form me why his party had patching it by mail, my memorandum which Heb-
letter would not be rew scholars had placed
been declared illegal.
"You can do one thing for opened, and that the before the noted Russian
us!" He looked around the news would eventually author, Maxim Gorky, in
room again. "I have brought be transmitted to New Moscow, asking his inter-
with me a copy of a resolu- York and the land of Is- vention with Stalin, who
tion which we have adopted rael, providing my letter held Gorky in great respect,
this week, at our first un- would have reached the to allow the teaching and
derground meeting. We JTA editorial office in use of Hebrew in Russia.
This memorandum was
would like to have you send London, or Warsaw, or
our resolution abroad, to get perhaps both.
signed by -a group who
And that was exactly called itself "Undergroun
it printed in the Jewish
Conference for Tarbuth ill
press, far and wide among what happened'.
As soon as the Jewish (culture).' When its con-
Jews in the world. We want
it known everywhere newspapers from abroad ar- tents appeared in the
among Jews that we are rived in Moscow at the pro- Jewish world press, that
still in existence, anti that per official quarters (pri- very Jewish author in Mos-
we are arranging to con- vate citizens were not cow, posing as my "friend,"
tinue existing on an illegal allowed to receive them), questioned me in detail how
my phone rang. One of the I had obtained it. Now he
basis."
M this point I began to Moscow Jewish Communist could not conceal his fury
grasp the motive which writers, who used to see me because I was disseminat-
prompted this middle- often, and whom I had sus- ing materials of Jewish un-
aged Jew to call on me. I pected of working for the derground groups. I told
questioned him how he GPU, was on the line. He him that I had not received
knew about me, and who was among those privileged this memorandum from the
gave him the address of to receive Jewish newspap- "Tarbuth" group but di-
rectly from Maxim Gorky
my office. He smiled mys- ers through the mail.
teriously and explained
"I notice in the foreign himself.