Jewish youth organizations of the Soviet Belarus (1921-1929 years)

Abstract

Article deals with the problem of Jewish youth organizations in the Soviet Belarus. During the 1920^th the development of Jewish youth organizations took place on two fronts: the Communist and Zionist. Jewish Communist Youth League until 1923 was a real competitor with Komsomol among Jewish boys and girls. Zionist youth organization in the Soviet Belarus has been divided into three groups: the right, educational, cultural, and left. Zionist youth organization and other smaller groups have been related to the right groups. Gashomer-Gatsair, Getover, Hehalutz, Makkabi have been related to educational and cultural ones. The Jewish Socialist Working Youth Union «Jugend Poalei Zion», Zionist-Socialist Union of Youth and Tseirey Zion have been related to the left group. In the first half of 1920^th the largest Jewish youth organization was Hehalutz, but in the second half it was the Zionist-Socialist Union of Youth. Soviet authorities used various methods of dealing with the Zionists (from advocacy to repressive). However, the Young Communist League of the Soviet Belarus was able to deploy an effective struggle against Zionism only in the late 1920^th. Due to the stronger response to the Soviet authorities and to improve the economic situation Jewish boys and girls began to fall under the influence of youth Zionist organizations since the end of 1926. Then the collapse of their local structures has begun. Zionist groups organized by youth have been eliminated to the end of 1929.