The B'nai B'rith magazine · 1927-07-01 · 10 (7.1927) · p. Seite 415

INTERMARRIAGE IN SOVIET RUSSIA 415 And what's more, the very parents of the children who intermarry do not seem to worry much. There. are even fathers who, having married one daughter to a gentile, do not object in the least to marrying a second or third daughter to a goy. And this occurs not only among the non-religious parents, but also among conservative Jews. Orthodox Jews live in harmony with their non-Jewish sons-in-law. It is quite common to see a conservative type of Jew, after his Saturday afternoon nap, walking leisurely to pay a visit to his son-in-law, comrade Petroff or Smirnoff. Or a pious Jewish motherin-law may be seen fondling her half- Jewish grandchild. Even the old greyhaired grandmother seems to have become reconciled to the thought that her grandchild lives with a gentile. She bemoans the fact once in a while—■ "Och-och-och. Such times ... if only Misha were a Jew. Such a nice fellow. Och-och-och." When I questioned an old melamed as to his reaction to his daughter's marriage to a gentile, he developed the following practical philosophy of life: "Well—my Bailke—I mean after all, she has not embraced Christianity; and as for him, her Sasha, well, if you want you can figure that he is not a Christian. He has no use for religion in general; you understand me, or not? So what can you do? It certainly would have been nicer, if she had married a Jew in a traditional way in accordance with the demands of God, but I mean—huh!—are we consulted? Have we any influence with them today? So be it—the thing is done and that's all. It had to happen. She is not the only one now, is she? It is now a sort of an epidemic. May God preserve us! Thank God that she at least remained a Jewess." And the old pious little melamed lives peacefully with this daughter and her husband, trying to convince them that circumcision is healthy for the child and that therefore, if a boy will be born. . . . The fact that his sonin-law is a gentile does not interfere with his profession. "If only," he says, "the Yevsektzia (Jewish Communists) did not interfere with me." Who are they, all these Vanias, Sashas and Mishas who marry Jewish girls? In the provincial places, they are usually workers with only an elementary education, who are sent from the local center of the communist party to do propaganda work or to occupy government positions. The acquaintance be- "A pious Jewish mother-in-law may be seen fondling her half-Jewish grandchild!" tween them and their future wives develops in the field of common endeavor. The Jewish girl works in the same party organizations or in the same government institution as the Russian boy. They please one another and both are free from religious and national prejudices. So there is nothing to prevent them from uniting. However, mixed marriages are not always the result of logical thinking. It happens sometimes that the law of attraction of opposites brings about a union between the Jewish girl and the non-Jewish boy. The Russian communists get tired of the sober faces and modest dress and styles of the Gentile girl communists and desire an attractive Jewess for a wife. The girl, on the other hand, has no objection to marrying a Christian, so long as he can provide for her and interests her. At any rate, neither of them risks very much. If the match is unsatisfactory it is only necessary for either of the two to notify the registration office in writing and before the ink dries, they are both free again. The parents have been prepared for the new domestic conditions by the events of the last few years which have brought about a. change in their psychology and in their entire outlook upon life. The World War and the civil wars filled their homes with strange and foreign elements. Then came the revolution with its new type of people. The appearance of the small settlement changed radically; the community ceased to remain a world by itself. Together with its aloofness it lost its patriarchal background. The Jewish house was no more the secluded castle of former days. The first strange neighbor was the army officer or the military official. Now the communist or soviet officials lives with the Jew. Not only did the Jewish inhabitants and the strangers live under one roof and in one apartment, but often, on account of lack of houses, they lived in one room. But, while in the Czarist officers and especially in the officers of the "White" armies, the Jew found only bandits, hooligans or common drunkards, from whom he had to hide his daughter, he discovered in the Communists, redeemers and protectors from pogroms, violence and death. In the one instance the strangers were arrogant and treated the Jew as an inferior being; the Communists were simple, kind folk who made no attempt to put on airs and who treated him as their equal. Gradually, the Jew became accustomed to Vassili Petrowitch or to Nikolai Ivanovitch. He began to look upon him as one of the home folk. On holidays, Vassili Petrowitch was invited to the feast. When influence was needed with the government, Vassili Petrowitch provided it. During the famine days, Vassili Petrowitch managed to bring home a sack of flour. Vassili Petrowitch obtained government positions for the children of his Jewish comrade. When business was outlawed the Jew could speak of his trade activities to Petrowitch. And now that business is legalized, but made almost impossible because of high taxes, the influence of Vassili Petrowitch is sought to lighten these taxes. In short, Vassili Petrowitch has gradually become a part of the household, almost a member of the family. It would be rather lonesome in the house without Vassili Petrowitch. When, therefore, the parents learn that Vassili Petrowitch is in love with their Fanitshka or Manitchka, the news does not stun them as it would have done in former days. To say that they are just as satisfied as if their daughter had married a Jew would not be the exact truth. Had their daughter asked them, they never would have consented to the union. But since the marriage has already taken place, may good luck be with the couple. * * * T""\ESPITE the increasing number of mixed marriages Judaism in Soviet Russia is thriving. Although Jewish tradition was weakened on its religious-nationalistic