Finally, we refer to the well-known activities of Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, both of whom are Jews, and who were deported on the Soviet Ark “Buford.”
Of course, it is significant that the radical labor movement is largely controlled by Jewish internationalists, but still more significant appears the fact that recently several rabbis have taken a definite stand in support of the Red movement. We shall refer here to two instances. On October 25, 1919, the New York Tribune stated that Rabbi Judah L. Magnes had publicly announced that “he was a Bolshevik and in full sympathy with their doctrines and ideals.” The article referred to is entitled “Bolshevik Talk Forces Magnes Out.” Therein it is revealed that on account of his public announcement that he was in full sympathy with Trotzky, Rabbi Magnes was forced to resign from the American Jewish Committee. It is important to bear in mind that at that time Rabbi Magnes was one of the most honored members of the Jewish community. Rabbi Magnes was deputed in 1916 to represent in Europe the American Jewish Relief organization, The Joint Distribution Committee, which, among other activities, solicited and distributed money and supplies to the Jews in territories occupied by the Central Powers. Whenever there is a great mass meeting Rabbi Magnes appears as the chief spokesman on behalf of the Jews in New York City, as has happened several times since his expulsion from the American Jewish Committee. Rabbi Magnes was one of the founders of the People’s Council, which was dissolved by the United States Government during the war. Here is a tentative enumeration of Rabbi Magnes’s activities as stated in the Tribune article above referred to:
“Dr. Magnes was one of the organizers of the American-Jewish Committee which has been engaged in philanthropic work among the Jews for the last fifteen years. Most of the work of the committee was confined to countries where the people were oppressed. Dr. Magnes has held many important posts and at one time was Rabbi of the Temple Emanu-El. Shortly after we entered the war he became a strong pacifist and was active in the People’s Council.
“There was a movement started on the East Side early in the summer to make Dr. Magnes the Socialist candidate for Congress. The persons who attempted this move are now supporting Congressman London for reëlection. Dr. Magnes is chairman of the American Jewish Kehillah.”
The other instance is that of Rabbi Maxwell Silver of Temple Shaari Zedek, Brooklyn, who, on January 8, 1920, was ousted by his congregation early in January, 1920, because of alleged radical utterances. “It was charged that he drew class lines and spoke of the rich as oppressors.” (See New York Times, January 8, 1920.) This fact alone might not be of great importance, but the action of the New York Association of Reformed Rabbis, as reported in the New York daily press, is significant:
“After the dismissal of Rabbi Maxwell Silver, of Congregation Shaari Zedek, of Brooklyn, the New York Association of Reformed Rabbis undertook the mediation of the trouble between the congregation and the Rabbi, and as a result pointed out that the whole difficulty was due to an unfortunate misunderstanding. Thereupon the trustees decided to recommend the reinstatement of Rabbi Silver, and we are happy to state that such reinstatement was ratified by the congregation after a special meeting last night. By a special resolution the New York Association of Reformed Rabbis expresses its confidence in the worthiness of Rabbi Silver and also in the good intentions of the Congregation Shaari Zedek to serve the cause of Israel.”
It is also a peculiar fact to consider that certain powerful Jewish bankers were instrumental and active in spreading Bolshevism, which now threatens the whole world. In this connection we refer the reader to one of the “Sisson Documents,” published by the United States Government in 1917 under the title “German Bolshevist Conspiracy”:
On September 21, 1917, one of the leading German Spartacan leaders, a Jew, by name of Furstenberg, wrote a letter to a Bolshevist by the name of Raphael Scholan, who became later one of the Bolshevist commissaries in Soviet Russia, as follows:
Stockholm, Sept. 21, 1917.
“To Mr. Raphael Scholan,
Haparanda.