Obituary from the October 1994 issue of the Socialist Standard
We have to report the death of Solomon Goldstein. Goldstein (as he was known in the Party) joined at the age of 16 in 1931 after listening to Party outdoor speakers near Brick Lane, in East London, where he lived all his life. Soon he himself was speaking both outdoors and as an indoor lecturer where his specialist subject was Marxian economics, contributing in no small way to the Party’s reputation in this field.
Coming from a Yiddish-speaking family he was easily able to learn German and became as fluent in it as he was in English. Indeed, he used to claim that you couldn’t understand Marxian economics properly unless you had read Capital the originaL
When he was ailed up to take part in the second world slaughter he applied for registration as a Conscientious Objector but was turned down and decided to go on the run. His health suffered and after the war he was never the same, having to spend long periods in hospitaL Although he had ceased to be a member some years ago he still bought the Socialist Standard and corresponded with the Internationales Fries Wort the German-language socialist journal published by our comrades in Austria.
Goldstein joined the SPGB in 1931 via its East London Branch. Mention in the obituary of him going 'on the run' during the war is perhaps indicated by the fact that he was lapsed from membership on March 24th 1942, only to rejoin one week later on March 31st. (I guess lapsing him from membership was the only means by which he would or could resurface during that period.)
ReplyDeleteHis membership continued in the post-war period, only for him to finally lapse from membership on May 15th, 1969. He continued to be a supporter of the SPGB for the rest of his life, as indicated by the fact that when he was interviewed by the Guardian in the early 1990s, he declared his continuing support for the politics of the SPGB.