The activist

Feldman was a Jewish (secular) anarchist revolutionary, whose activities spanned several decades. She was born in Poland in 1899, but later moved to London, where she worked in sweatshops. When news of the Russian Revolution broke, she moved there. She provided behind-the-lines support to the anarchists led by Nestor Makhno in their fight against Tsarism, Bolshevism, social democratic oppression, and foreign intervention. In the 1930s, Feldman was active in Palestine, where she organised the anarchist federation. In 1935, she returned to London to organise supplies for the anarchists in Spain, fighting Franco.

According to Black Flag founding editor Albert Meltzer, Feldman:

wanted to give aid to the Spanish Resistance in spite of all, and during the turbulent sixties, with the International First of May Movement, helped in taking care of the armoury, even taking it with her luggage into Spain. She was known affectionately by Catalans, always prone to giving nicknames, as “la yaya (granny) Makhnowista”.

In 1985, during a taped interview by Anarchist Black Cross comrade Leo Rosser, Feldman talked about her time in Russia, her role in helping to organise the funeral of anarchist Piotr Kropotkin, of Emma Goldman, of the Spanish Revolution, and of Rudolf Rocker’s internment during World War One. page from Leah’s photo album.. she was born in 1899!

Suspicions

In her later years, Feldman grew increasingly suspicious of new people in the anarchist scene. Sadly, her instincts in this regard were spot on, and some blame must be attributed to those who failed to check ‘Thorley’s’ credentials.

That Pearce allegedly exploited Feldman in the way he did shows the depths that undercover police officers are prepared to sink to collect information on those they identify as political activists.

[Disclosure: the author of this article had no connections with Freedom or Freedom Press, but knew Leah well, as both a friend and comrade.]

Correction: This article was updated at 1900 on 29 March to remove the name of a person who has no recollection of being involved in the production of the video mentioned.

Featured image supplied via Leah Feldman’s photograph album

see also:

A Rebel Spirit (obituary of Leah Feldman) – by Albert Meltzer at Kate Sharpley Library

Remembering our comrade Leah Feldman