New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-26
New Era Dawning
For Russian Jews
Bv DIR. S. M MELAMED
rd;,o, of "The American Jewish Chronicle

ton in Russia in a way satisfactory 70
the Russian government, because on
account of these exceptional laws, =
600 600 Jews will starve and perish. an
other 1000. 900 will be compelled to
leave Russia. and the rest will, in the
end, be compelled TO accept Chrls-
tianity. Russian Jewry Will thus as
appear from the face OF the earth IN
few generations" $3.50,
These hopes as cherished by Pobiedo-
nosztseff were shared by all the repre-
sentatives of the old regime. In snort
under the old regime, 7ooe,oo0 Nus
sian Jews had a deadly enemy who was
out 70 Kill them in body and spirit.
What methods the old regime used III
crushing Russian Jewry is not only un-
known IN America, but even IN we'll
informed circles in Europe; in order to
understand the meaning and the I'M
portance of the repeal OF the old laws
officially directed against the syna-
gogue. but practically aimed AT the
lives Of 100000 Jews, it is necessary
to call TO memory the sad achievements
of the old Russian regime IN the heia
Of exceptional laws. =
Anti-Semitism was part and pareei OIL
the old regime ever since its lncept'on.
With the exception OF Alexander H. All
the Russian Cars were hostile TO the
Jews, and promulgated restrictive laws
against them. But never before vas
Russian Jewry, so much oppressed hu-
inflated and abused as under the re.
glmes of Alexander III and OF Nicoial
III. The so-called temporary May laws
inaugurated by Ignatieh in lss2 de-
prived the Jews Of liberty OF movement
of religious and of intellectual liberty,
reduced them TO third class citizens
and handed them over to the corrupt
police Of the old regime. The Jews
were not permitted 70 reside OUTSIDE OF
a certain number of provinces. to 1--we
in villages, to send their children TO
school. to enter the universities, to be-
come officials or army officers; in short,
they we're deprived of the most clemen.
tary human rights. The execution OF
these laws by corrupt police and OH
Gals was even more barbaric than the
laws themselves. The following hap
pening that occurred in my native town
Of Russia illustrates best the method
of the execution Of the exceptional
laws directed against the Jews:
fOllCc StOp IuHefdi
The laws said that Jews were not
permitted to live in villages. One day,
my native community, a district town
of the government of Suvalki, faced
the necessity of establishing a new
Jewish cemetery. The old cemetery
was situated within the barriers of the
city. The new cemetery. however, was
outside of the city. When the first
funeral in the new cemetery took place,
two policemen appeared and stopped
the ceremony, claiming that since the
Jews had no right TO live outside OF
the town. the Jewish corpse could not
be buried in the new cemetery. The
chief of police argued that the law for
bidding the Jews to live outside of the
town applied TO dead as well as TO lly-
ing Jews. That, at least, he said, was
his Interpretation of the law. The
representatives Of the Jewish commu-
nifty who attended the funeral tried to
convince the chief of police that he
was Misunderstanding the law and told
him that in nearly every Jewish com
munity the cemetery was outside OF
the town and no police officer ever OBJ
jected TO using the Jewish cemetery for
its proper purposes. But the chief of
police insisted that he was right, and
caused the coffin to be taken to a
ne Ugh boring community until further
instructions from his Superiors.
The representatives of the Jewish
community at once appealed to the
governor in Suvslki, to the general
governor in wilma. and TO the Minister
Of the Interior in St. Petersburg.
Month after month passed and no re-
ply was forthcoming from any of the
three quarters. Meanwhile, all the
dead had to be buried in the cemetery
of neighboring community, which
was very expensive affair. After more
than eighteen months of waiting the
representatives of the community were
one day informed By the chief of police
that. according to instructions from
st. Petersburg, only living Jews have
no right TO live outside of the town.
Dead Jews, however. were entitled 70
that privilege. but he could not per-
nit the use Of the new cemetery be-
cause. in his opinion. the fence was
too low. Yet. since he was convinced
OF the true application of the law as
also understood by the representatives
Of the Jewish community, he did not
make many difficulties about using the
cemetery hundred rubles reconciled
him very quickly to what he termed the
slow fence" of the cemetery.
Given yellow Jacket"
According TO the old law. the Jews
had no right TO reside outside OF a
certain pale. or settlement. comprising
Poland, Lithuania and some Southern
Russian provinces belonging 70 the
Ukraina. But in the pale of the set
Element. there was only one university,
Warsaw, that had room only for 4 GER
tain number of students. Those young
Jewish intellectuals. especially women,
who had succeeded in passing the high
school examinations could only enter
a university at the rate of per cent,
that is TO say. out Of hundred stu
dents, only FIVE could be Jews, and il
other universities only three.
The intellectual, ambitious Russian
Jewess who was anxious TO receive an
academic training had only one hope.
to go to st. Petersburg. or to Moscow,
and to try TO enter one of the women's
universities there. As a Jewess, she
had no right to reside in these cities,
and the police would only grant her
the right Of residence on condition
that she take a yellow ticket" AMI
register herself as a prostitute.
Hundreds Of girls preferred to
forego their academic training rather
.han accept such humiliating cond'-
tions. while others. more ambitious
and daring. and often driven 20 de-
spair, did comply with the conditions
Of tho police. However. upon dscov-
ering that these girls, instead Of fol-
lowing a low life. we're devoted to stud
les and lived an honest life. the police
Immediately arrested them and sen;
them home TO their native communl-
4. In,