Anti-Jewish Outrages in Russia

Julius T. Loeb, “Anti-Jewish Outrages in Russia,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), May 4, 1903. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1903-05-04/ed-1/seq-8/

Anti-Jewish Outrages in Russia

To the Editor of The Evening Star:

    Mephisto is rampant! The evil spirit of gone-by ages inciting man against his brother and spreading in its wake death and destruction is again raging in all its horrible aspects. That superstitious belief of barbaric tendency, which caused pagans to accuse the early Christians of employing human blood for ritual purposes, and which subsequently made the Jew a prey to wild outbursts of brutal masses in almost every age and country, is now again playing havoc in darkest Russia. The cable is now busied with transmitting to us the tragic scenes enacted in the city of Kishinjev on the ground of the old “blood accusation,” the results of which are: Hundreds of Jews dead and many more injured and crippled for life, while thousands of hitherto prosperous families are destitute and in dire dismay. The place now presents a most appalling sight. Carnage, plunder, conflagration and defilement have combined to form a pandemonium which even fiction would be incompetent to paint. 

    It is true, the unfortunate victims in the case are neither Armenians, nor Macedonians, nor any other, save “only Jews,” the natural, everyday scapegoat! Yet I shall venture to question: Will the European civilized nations all remain silent at the outrage? Will the entire western world tolerate such deviltries? Will not the cry of innocent blood awaken the heart of humanity to rise in just demonstration against this most shocking barbarism? Will the true Christian spirit admit of such repeated crucifixion of the Jew? Will human dignity and the enlightenment of the Twentieth century prevail? It is a well-known fact that the masses in Russia will not be tempted to pillage and murder of the Jews before the evil spirit descends from the upper spheres, and they were instigated by newspapers of official or semi-official character, such as the Novoye Vremja, Kiyerlianin, etc. 

    The cause of the trouble in Kishinjev, in brief, is as follows: In Dubasor, a nearby town, there was recently found a murdered Christian boy, just a few days prior to the Jewish Passover festival. And though there is the strongest suspicion that the murder was committed by relatives who had an interest in the removal of the lad from the way of an intended inheritance, yet the superstitious masses are easily instigated against Jews, while they receive every encouragement from higher spheres. The anti-Jewish outbreaks resulted. 

    The appeal sent out by the Kishinjev relief fund committee for the amelioration of the suffering living victims left in wretchedness and starvation has already found an echo in the hearts of all American-Russian Jews and moneys are being forwarded with all possible speed to the New York central committee and thence cabled forthwith to Kishinjev. In this city, too, a committee was at once appointed to make the necessary collection, and today upward of $100 is being sent off to the New York central committee. 

    A noble example was furnished last night by the “Young People’s Union of Zion,” who have readily and unanimously responded to the appeal by an appropriation of $25 from the union’s treasury and the starting of a collection from its individual membership. These will also be forwarded immediately. The Young People’s Union will also get up some affair, the proceeds to go for the same purpose. 

    JULIUS T. LOEB.