Politics

My introduction to Communism and Karl Marx (1947)

A chance encounter with Betzalel Narkis turned my life in a new direction. First, it introduced me to journalism. [.........] Second, it introduced me to Marxism, Communism and to an awareness of social issues. [..........]

My introduction to Marxism, was also a chance encounter (or not!), because the encounter with the Hebrew Communists would have eventually introduced me to their ideas anyway. But it so happened that one evening I had nowhere to sleep, and. having a key to the Ahdut office, I decided to spend the night there. It was summer, and I didn't mind sleeping on the floor, but I needed a pillow. The Hebrew Communists, like other Communists, do not have pillows, but they have books. I looked around for the heaviest book, one that was fat enough to rest my head on. The fattest book was a Hebrew edition of The Capital by Karl Marx. I put it under my head and had a very peaceful sleep. When I woke up in the morning I looked at the book and read the introduction. I got interested and read on. For three days I read it non stop, until finished. It convinced me. I don't know how many people became Communists because they read The Capital, but it happened to me.