Jacob Epstein (student)
Encyclopedia
Jacob Epstein, also Jake Bermanen, (10 November 1903–10 February 1998) was born in Brooklyn, New York of Russian parents. He graduated from Cornell University
in 1924, where he became friends with Anna Colloms, who was also a student. In 1938, Epstein volunteered for the International Brigades
during the Spanish Civil War
, and was badly wounded. Epstein married Ruth Beverley Wilson, whom he met while convalescing from his injuries, and both allegedly served as Soviet intelligence operatives.
During World War II
, Epstein was stationed by Soviet intelligence in Mexico City
. Epstein was put in charge of the Gnome Project, which was the secret plan to free Ramón Mercader
, Leon Trotsky
's murderer, from jail.
Epstein is referenced in Venona
decrypt 800 New York to Moscow 28 May 1943, and another decrypt on 30 May 1943. The material cites Epstein as having placed two agents in the prison where Mercader was held. The plan called for moving Mercader out of Mexico once the jailbreak was made.
Venona decrypt 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944 identifies Anna Colloms, while on a courier mission to Mexico, reporting the KGB
detected surveillance of Ruth Wilson, Epstein's wife, and Colloms, who went to Mexico for liaison with Jacob Epstein, but achieved nothing.
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1924, where he became friends with Anna Colloms, who was also a student. In 1938, Epstein volunteered for the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, and was badly wounded. Epstein married Ruth Beverley Wilson, whom he met while convalescing from his injuries, and both allegedly served as Soviet intelligence operatives.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Epstein was stationed by Soviet intelligence in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Epstein was put in charge of the Gnome Project, which was the secret plan to free Ramón Mercader
Ramón Mercader
Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández was a Spanish communist who became famous as the murderer of Russian Communist ideologist Leon Trotsky in 1940, in Mexico...
, Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
's murderer, from jail.
Epstein is referenced in Venona
Venona project
The VENONA project was a long-running secret collaboration of the United States and United Kingdom intelligence agencies involving cryptanalysis of messages sent by intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union, the majority during World War II...
decrypt 800 New York to Moscow 28 May 1943, and another decrypt on 30 May 1943. The material cites Epstein as having placed two agents in the prison where Mercader was held. The plan called for moving Mercader out of Mexico once the jailbreak was made.
Venona decrypt 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944 identifies Anna Colloms, while on a courier mission to Mexico, reporting the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
detected surveillance of Ruth Wilson, Epstein's wife, and Colloms, who went to Mexico for liaison with Jacob Epstein, but achieved nothing.
Venona
Jacob Epstein's code names in Soviet intelligence are "Harry" and "Garri". Epstein is referenced in the following Venona decryptions:- 800 KGB New York to Moscow, 28 May 1943;
- 816–817 KGB New York to Moscow, 30 May 1943;
- 899 KGB New York to Moscow, 11 June 1943;
- 1142 KGB New York to Moscow, 10 August 1944;
- 174–176 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 29 December 1943;
- 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944. pg.1
- 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944. pg.2
- 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944. pg.3
- 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944. pg.4
- 193–194 Mexico City to Moscow, 14 March 1944. pg.5
- 212 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 25 March 1944;
- 261–262 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 16 April 1944;
- 281 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 21 April 1944;
- 553–554 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 29 June 1944;
- 893 KGB Mexico City to Moscow, 28 November 1944;
- 237 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 20 April 1944;
- 248 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 27 April 1944;
- 288 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 11 May 1944;
- 511 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 24 August 1944;
- 626 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 29 October 1944;
- 634 KGB Moscow to Mexico City, 5 November 1944.
