Page 214 - LEIBY

214 Leiby – Border Smuggler

detectives threw him a dirty look.

“You’re all conspirators, enemies of the regime!” One of them
snarled. As far as the communists were concerned, any youth
organization that wasn’t coordinated with the Party was
potentially a hub of connivers against the regime.

“As of yet, there is no communist dictatorship here,” Leiby
protested. “The leading party in the Polish government is
actually a socialist party, and there are no less than five legal
parties in the Polish parliament. There’s no crime in being a
member of a Jewish youth organization, even if it’s not a
communist framework.”

“But there are also adults here on the farm,”one of the detectives
pointed out.

“Yes, but that’s because the Jews are naturally businessmen, not
farmers, but we’re training them for farm work,” Leiby replied
glibly. “Adults also need training, you know.”

“And who provides the funding for this undertaking?”

“The Central Jewish Agency.”

“No, the Joint! And you’re all imperialistic agents for Britain,” a
sharp-featured, Jewish-looking detective accused.

“Ha ha ha,” Leiby guffawed. “Just what Britain is waiting for
– Jewish farmers who’ll go to Palestine and start up with the
Arabs. But you,” he pointed at the Jewish-looking investigator.
“You are from the Yevsektsia and I have no interest in talking
to you.”

“I’m not from the Yevsektsia,” the detective recoiled as if he
had been convicted of a heinous crime. “I only want to protect
the few Jews that survived the war. You, the breichniks, instead
of helping them to rebuild Poland and establish their own
secure place here, you take them to miserable refugee camps in
Germany where they huddle together like penniless beggars,
eating from the communal kitchen with no hope for a brighter