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Page 26 The Southern Israelite A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF A YEAR OF JEWISH HISTORY (Continued from Page 25) institution in the life of the Pales tine community. International inter est was evoked in Palestine during the past year also as a result of the numerous archaeological expeditions that have been working there, inves tigating synagogue ruins and similar relics of an earlier civilization. That it should have been necessary to organize an Association for the Enforcement of Sabbath Rest in Pal estine is an indication of the relig ious uncertainty which prevails. It is undeniable that the old dogmas do not have considerale hold on a large segment of the Jewish population— particularly among the Chalutzim, whose relation to the Palestine proj ect is ethical and social rather than religious. However, since Palestine is the cradle of Judaism, most ob servers are content with having the Jewish pioneers evolve a conception of Jewish life which will be in keep ing with the new Jewish Homeland. Considerable unrest was caused in the Jewish community by the disturb ances that have occurred at the Wail ing Wall. By many critics this is taken to l>e the most vicious example of the negligent attitude of the Pales tine Government and the Mandatory Power toward the Jewish constitu ency. Failure to grant Crown lands to Jews, the rigid restriction of im migration, the discriminatory tax practices still remaining from the Turkish regime, the unequal tariff barriers offer material for indictment of the British Government. It is in teresting to note in this connection that Lord Melchett, at the opening of the Jewish Agency Council, himself expressed criticism of the Mandatory Power for its failure to do all in its power to aid in the establishment of the Jewish Homeland. RUSSIA As the land with a Jewish popula tion, second only to that of the United States, and as the country where the Jewish future is most uncertain, Rus sia occupies a dominant place in any consideration of contemporary Jewish history. Censorship still holds fast and opinions about Jewish life in Russia vary considerably with the ob server. The general consensus seems to be, however, that the practice of the Jewish religion and particularly the fostering of the Zionist movement encounter great difficulties. The in stigators of the persecution are un doubtedly the Yevsektzia, the Jewish section of the Communist Party. As to whether the Soviet Government it self is behind the campaign of the Yevsektzia remains undetermined. On several occasions Lunacharsky, Soviet Commissar of Education, and M. Ry- koff have severely condemned such practices; but apparently their pro tests were limited to verbal state ments. Reliable reports incidate that anti- Semitism has not decreased in Soviet Russia. It is fair, however, to state that anti-Semitism has not increased. The mere fact that dispatches tell of anti-Jewish outrages in factories and occasional anti-Jewish riots is not suf ficient -proof that anti-Semitism has increased. It actually show’s that the Jewish position in Russia has im proved to such an extent that even the slightest outbreak receives wide attention. The Soviet Government itself frovrns on anti-Semitism and is c Jlankes^S Aeu> Work (Sloc/f fyxcAan^c v Aeu i/orA (car6 £ \ c/tunye ■ ■ Government, Municipal and Corporation Bonds Listed and Local Stocks Underwnters of Southern Securities Private Wires to Otis & Co.. N. Y.—Post 8 Flagg. N. Y. HURT BUILDING, ATLANTA TEL. WAlnut 9110 doing everything in its power tn a courage the practices of the cult tI?* outbreaks that occur occasionally h * factories, universities, agricult,, \ settlements and clubs find ready n *‘ ecution from Soviet officials. * PT0!t ' With religious instability on t u one hand and civil equality on K other the Jews in Russia find tW selves in a quandry. The inner Z' flict which is felt by the adults u probably not understood by the youth since they are being trained by th,' Soviet system of education to a new idealism that is indifferent to th traditional Judaism. During the past year nothing def inite was done in respect to Bira Bid jan, which for the last several yea^ has been heralded as the location f or the new “Jewish Russian State”. Al- though the colonies in the Ukraine and Crimea are flourishing under funds and supervision furnished bv the Joint Distribution Committee doub* has been expressed whether J e w< could be got to establish themselveo in the far-off Siberian territory 0 f Bira Bidjan. It is possihle, as ha« been frequently suggested, that the entire proposal of Bira Bidjan, which does not seem to have the active sup port of the J. D. C., emanates from the Soviet Government as a political countermove to Great Britain's spon sorship of the Jewish rebuiling of Palestine. POLAND Though the economic position of the Jews in Poland is a difficult one it is probably a reflection of the situa tion that prevails in the entire coun try rather than a symptom of the particular difficulties suffered by Jews. Since the Pilsudski regime the posi tion of the Jews has been eased as regards their status as a minority. It is obvious, however, that Jewish Conditions in Poland are not as de sirable from a civil and political point of view as in Russia. During the past year there were a number of instances of anti-Jewish outbreaks, which occurred among both workers and university students. It is a symptom of the improving Jew ish position that in these outbreaks the Jews adopted a firm attitude which has in many cases won them the respect of the liberal element of the population. An indication of the disabilities that are still suffered by Polish Jew’s is contained in the fact that an order was issued stat’r.g that no Jews were to be employed on the Warsaw street car lines as long a« there were Christian applicants fo. the jobs. Discrimination has ai< been charged in other departments. Dr. Isaac Gruenbaum, member of tr Polish Sejm, charged in the latter body that Jewish w’orkers were kep from employment on governmen works. In another instance a • eW who had been elected sheriff of a to^n w’as kept from office when a ju discovered some antiquated sta * u e which prohibited a Jew’s incum m in that office. Anti-Jewish disturbances of a la**” rature occurred in Lemberg and iaw during June, w’hen charge. 1 - * nade that Jew’s had profaned e . nonies during the passing of a .j >lic religious procession. R r tl • u he assurances of government o ifter extensive investigation. a stringent control of the police, he situation in hand, b or ” lor - oU3 x week matters looked quite for the Jewish population.