Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-19
JEWISH CHURCH IN
POLAND RECOGNIZED
Given Legal Status as Religious
Organization by Teuton
Order.
MANIFEsTo'S PROVISIONS

Sayville General Won Beseler, gov
ernor-general of Russian Poland, has
issued an order at Warsaw in regard
to the organization Of Jewish re-
ligious body in Poland, by which self
government is given to the Polish
Jews.
Under Russian rule the Jews i'll
Poland. as in all Russia, lived almost
without religious organization,
says the Overseas News agency, in
describing the new order, The host,l-
ity OF the Russian authorities against
the Jews found expression in we'll
known laws and in uninterrupted per-
secutions and oppression of the Jew
ish community, as well as i'll the fact
that a religious body to which IA per
cent of the population of Poland be-
longs was deprived of all uniform or
CARNATIONS. Only the formation Of
organizations of isolated parishes was
allowed. and the union of parishes into
= larger organization was forbid
den, says the news agency.
The Present Order.
"By the present order of the gov
ernor-general, the members of the
Jewish church are reorganized as a
religious body, according to public
right. Local Jewish communities in
the counties, according to the new
order, are united to county organiza
tions. The heads of these county or
CARNATIONS are administrative coun-
ellis, which are made up from the
boards of the smaller communities
and selected according to the princi-
plies of proportional representation.
THE administrative council will be
composed of eleven members, Of whom
three must be rabbis. At the head of
the Jewish religious body will be a
supreme Jewish council, Professionally
composed according to proportional
representation. The supreme council,
according to the order, has twenty
one members, of whom fourteen mus,
be laymen and seven rabbis.
Managed by Board.
1.-THE local communities will be ad-
ministered through board elected by
the citizens of the Jewish parish under
majority rule. This board will have
four members in addition to the rab-
bis. For the largest local communi-
ties special organization has been
provided. This will be under the rule
of an assembly of parish delegates,
which will have parliamentary func-
tons, and of an administrative council,
which will have administrative func-
tons. The election of parish dele
gates will be according to the proper
tional system and in two sections.
Each section will elect the same num-
Der of delegates. Peoples without
school education, those who have at
tended special trade or agricultural
school, and Jewish citizens who, on
account of their knowledge of Jewish
literature, have received the title OF
rabbi, will vote in the first section. All
other classes will vote in the second
section. The parish delegates also will
have a part in the administrative
council.
Allowed to Organize.
THE formation of associations for
divine service will be allowed in every
community. Thus guarantee is
given that no religious tendency can
be suppressed by the majority. To the
community will be entrusted the re-
ligious life and education OF the young,
charity and social work. The local
communities, the county communities
and the general religious body, as
represented by the supreme council,
will have the right to levy taxes and
will possess the privileges of incor-
porated public corporations"
The order also contains detailed
regulations concerning the rabbis.
THE Jews in Poland, by this order,
receive constitution superior to the
majority of the antiquated constitu-
tons of other European countries.
There is no doubt that this constitu-
ton will prove beneficial to the Jews
in Poland: OF extremely valuable i'm
portance is the possibility of uniform
superintendent through a supreme
council. The constitution attempts the
creation of religious life, based on
freedom of conscience. Although there
are differences Of opinion among
the Jews, nevertheless the new order
should bring unity in place of the
present lack or organization.
Task of Council.
THE task of the supreme council
will be, above all, the reform of the
institution of rabbi through provid-
ing good conditions. Similar in in
tent also is the proposed promotion
of a Jewish school system, especially
by the construction of special schools
in which the leading Jews of Poland
can press on bravely toward a better
future. The Russian plutocra ic cleo
toral system in certain communities
is abolished and the electoral rights
OF large communities are recognized.
Jewish circles in Poland receive
the new order enthusiastically. All
parties among the Jews consi1er it
very important that the Jewish COM
munity now is regarded as religious
body, according to public right, and
that the possibility now exists toward
the different departments of Jewish
life, through the means of well-con-
Quoted self-governing bodies. The war
has brought unspeakable misery to the
eastern Jews, but on the other hand,
it has brought this new constitution,
which is of the highest Importance to