Jewish Communist Labour Bund (Ukraine)

The Jewish Communist Labour Bund (Ukraine), also known as the Kombund, was a Jewish socialist political organization that emerged in Ukraine following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Russian Civil War. It represented a splinter group from the General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania, Poland and Russia (the "Bund"), diverging from the Bund's traditional platform.

Unlike the parent Bund, which advocated for Jewish cultural autonomy within a democratic socialist framework, the Kombund aligned itself with the Bolsheviks and supported the establishment of a Soviet regime. This fundamental disagreement stemmed from differing perspectives on the viability of national autonomy under the Bolsheviks and the best path to securing Jewish rights and combating antisemitism.

The Kombund saw the Bolshevik revolution as a progressive force capable of dismantling the existing social order and eradicating the root causes of antisemitism through class struggle and the establishment of a socialist state. They believed that Jewish workers should integrate fully into the broader revolutionary movement rather than focusing on specifically Jewish national demands.

Following the Bolshevik consolidation of power in Ukraine, the Kombund played a role in Jewish sections (Yevsektsii) of the Communist Party. These sections were tasked with promoting Soviet ideology among Jewish populations, fostering the use of Yiddish language and culture in Soviet institutions, and combating traditional Jewish religious and cultural practices that were seen as incompatible with socialist principles.

The Kombund and the Yevsektsii pursued a policy of what some historians have termed "internal colonialism," often criticizing and dismantling Jewish community organizations, religious institutions, and cultural expressions that did not conform to the Soviet agenda. This led to significant tensions and conflict within the Jewish community.

The Kombund was eventually dissolved along with the Yevsektsii in the late 1930s during the Stalinist purges. Many of its members were arrested, imprisoned, or executed, mirroring the fate of many other Jewish intellectuals, activists, and community leaders during this period. The organization's history remains a subject of debate among historians, particularly regarding its impact on Jewish life in Soviet Ukraine and its role in the suppression of Jewish cultural and religious expression.