Jewish Communist Party המפלגה היהודית קומוניסטית | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 |
| Dissolved | 1922 |
| Youth wing | Jewish Communist Youth Union |
| Ideology | Communism |
| Political position | Far-left |
Jewish Communist Party (Poalei Zion) (Russian:Еврейская коммунистическая партия (Поалей-Цион),Evreĭskaia kommunisticheskaia partiia (Poaleĭ-Tsion), abbreviated EKP) was apolitical party in Russia, active from 1919 to 1922. The party was formed at a conference of communist dissident fractions of theJewish Social Democratic Labour Party (Poalei Zion), held inGomel 10–15 August 1919.[1][2] Members of the party were nick-named 'EKOP-ists'.[2] It was affiliated to theJewish Communist Union (Poalei Zion).[1][3]
EKP argued in favour of a merger with theBund, to form a Jewish section of theCommunist International.[2] The proposed Jewish Comintern section would work under the aegis of the national communist party in each country, apart fromPalestine.[2] EKP was fiercely opposed to theYevsektsiya, the Jewish Section of theRussian Communist Party (Bolsheviks).[2]
The II All-Russian conference of the EKP was held in July 1920 inKharkov. The IV Congress of was held in August 1921 and the III All-Russian conference was held 1–2 December 1922 in Moscow.[3]
The party was represented in the Council for Propaganda and Action of the Peoples of the East of theCommunist International through Zajma Ostrovsky, who participated in the 1920Congress of the Peoples of the East, held inBaku, Azerbaijan (part ofSoviet Russia).
In its later phase the party passed through severe internal disputes.[3] The fact that theKomfarband merged with RCP(b) in March 1921 weakened the case for the formation of a Jewish Comintern section and sparked a debate on RCP(b)-EKP merger within the party.[2]
In 1922 the party merged into the Russian Communist Party (bolsheviks)[1] and many of its members became involved in the Yevsektsiya.
The EKP occupied a strong position inBaku after the arrival of the11th Soviet Red Army. The Jewish population of the city grew considerably in those years because of thepogroms committed by theWhite Army in Ukraine,Belarus and Russia that led many Jews to find shelter in Azerbaijan, a country without an antisemitic tradition. The fact that the Jewish population had grown up to 13,700 persons helped the EKP (as well as theCommunist Bund, the Yevsektsiya and theZionist parties) to enlarge its membership in the area. The EKP promoted many cultural activities and struggled for the eliminination of illiteracy, in particular among theMountain Jews. In 1921 thebetsalel circles were opened in Baku. In those places it was possible to organizeliterature and Jewishdrama courses.[4]
The party was led by aCentral Committee and aPolitburo. The organ of the Central Committee of EKP wasNakanune ('Накануне'). In Ukraine, the party Central Committee had aRight-bank Bureau (Pravbirou) and aLeft-bank Bureau. TheBelorussian EKP was headed by a Chief Committee. Moreover, the party had aCaucasus Regional Committee.[3] The youth wing of the party was calledJewish Communist Youth Union.
EKP maintained a party school in Kharkov, named afterBer Borochov.[3]
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