The Denver Jewish news., 1924-08-21
1ransmigrants and
Refugees
Scenes in u Jewish House Of Refuge In
Paris.
BY SIMEON JUsHKEwITCH

uge, this onc-and-a-half story high
corner house in Montmartre, facing
the Church of the Sacre Occur, this
is the home of human wreckagc, the
place whose dilapidated walls have
looked upon all manner of misery, pow
erty and despair. Thousands of hui
man derelicts have found ii tempo
rary home, their only home, shelter
against the storms of fate. | look up
with feeling of reverence and awe.
1t is right that l should take off my
hat in the little courtyard, should
make obeisance TO the shrine of sor-
row and suffering. | come to the door
and open it cautiously. In semi
dark, unheated large room, people are
standing and sitting about, half hid
den in the tobacco smoke. Some are
seated listlessly, others are talking,
quarreling or confding in each other.
Emigrants or refugees, what are
they? The Refuge makes no distinc-
ton, does not ask who or what they
are, does not ask their religion. 1t is
a Jewish institution, maintained by
contributions from Jews, but as far as
its funds permit, its doors are open to
all, Jews, Russians, Protestants, Cath
olics.
l walk inside and look around.
Dirty walls, dirty flooring, black cell
ing, an unheated stove, a few narrow
benches and the all foul and heavy
The immigrants are all occupied with
their own affairs, absorbed in them,
and they see nothing else, are oblivi-
Gus to the dirt and the foul air. They
are busy thinking of their own affairs,
upbuilding castles in the air, bridges in
the air, over which it may be that they
will pass or more probably they will
not pass to the realization of their
dreams.
Here is Abraham Colt. A broad
shouldcrcd man, wears horn-rimmed
glasses and an old grey dress coat. He
talks through his nose because of a
perpetual cold.
"Where do you come FROM" / ask
him, speaking in Yiddish.
PALESTINE" he answered. "From
Tcl-Aviv. I'm looking for job. Do
you happen to speak Hebrew" he
goes on. "No? A pity! couldn't
get work in Palestine, nothing at all.
! thought I'd get something here, and
then after a time I'd be able to get
back to my wife in America"
"You come from America ?" l ask.
yes" he replies. 81 went out to
Palestine to fight. joined the Jewish
Legion. l fell sick, was operated on
twice. They treated me like dog in
the hospital. Turned me out the mo-
ment l could stand. And now I've
landed in here. | pour the soup out
under the table. The bread we get is
just crust. If Russian asks for
another piece, he gets it. A Jew never
Even here the pogromists have good
time. Two of US have to sleep together
in a narrow little bed that hardly
holds one. We are herded together
with sick people, some of them suffer
ing from infectious diseases. What
can we do?"
A second Jew comes up. He is
wearing an old fur coat and a stiff
hat. He stands listening to Colts com
plant and then turns TO me and asks
in Yiddish; You're making an ex-
animation? Listen to me! Pm Green
berg from Ekaterinoslaw. Write it
down! I've come here from Athens.
They gave me a hell of time there.
They're Spanish Jewes there. Dogs!
That's what they arew His face curv-
ed up into a grimace.
"a friend of mine," he went on, "a
little trader named Leiserman, stole
away and left me with his wife and
two children. How could go away
and leave them in Athens? So near
ly killed myself. Put up with insults
and jibes, and did what | could to keep
them alive. l starved myself and gave
them my last crust. Then l took them
to Marseilles, and there | left them.
What more could | do?" There was
sob in his voice. GAS long as they are