Kosher Bread – Target of Prejudice in Mogilev

The most recent target of anti-Semitism in Russia occurred in Mogilev in the Belarus region. Two local newspapers called residents to confiscate the ‘Blominskei’ bread. The articles added letters written by locals blaming the bakery for ‘turning the entire region into a Jewish community’. To combat this, the newspapers demanded that production of kosher bread be forbidden and boycotted.

One of the letters publicized declared that the koshering process is done with the use of blood of animals brought for an offering. Other reporters based their support of outlawing kosher bread on other sources.

Incidentally, several positive views of an orthodox priest and workers of the plant were also voiced, but these were ‘drowned’ amidst of the ‘sea’ of anti-Semitic statements. None of the newspapers participating in this attack bothered to obtain the response of the Jewish community or the local Rabbi. Furthermore, local Jews who sent their protesting letters to the newspaper editorials do not believe that they would be published.