World
China bans printing of Chasidic woman’s memoir for being 'anti-communist'
A Chinese company had been due to print the late Shula Kazen’s account of her struggles to live a Jewish life in communist Russia
October 3, 2022 16:33
A Chinese company had been due to print the late Shula Kazen’s account of her struggles to live a Jewish life in communist Russia
October 3, 2022 16:33China has refused to publish a Chasidic woman’s memoir about living under Soviet rule, declaring it anti-communist.
1010 Printing, based in Hong Kong, had been due to print the late Shula Kazen’s account of her struggles to live a Jewish life in communist Russia, in September.
But a few days after local government censors approved the book, written in English and destined for distribution outside China, the book’s Chasidic publisher Dovid Zaklikowski received an email. The text, he was told, was being sent to China’s national censorship agency for further review.
“In view of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the book has to upgrade for further approval, which needs to take 15 days,” the printing company wrote.
Almost a month later, he received another email from the firm: “Unfortunately, this book is not approved to print in China as content involves anti-communist. Now the only option is printing outside of China.”
It is the first time Mr Zaklikowski, who has published other books about Soviet persecution with the company, has had trouble with Chinese government officials.
But My Gulag Life: Stories of a Soviet Prisoner, and In the Trenches: Stories from the Front Lines of Jewish Life in Russia were both published before Russia found itself isolated and sanctioned after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
However, the Chinese government, which has blamed the West for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has offered to support the Russian economy through increased trade.
“It seems that even after [Kazen’s] death in 2019, the communists are still fighting her message and the censor refuses to print her triumphant message,” Mr Zaklikowski told the JTA.
The book details how Kazen's father was arrested for helping with circumcisions and who died while being detained by Russian forces as well as the heartwarming story of how she found religious freedom when she left Russia for Ohio.