The Denver Jewish news., 1920-02-04
Jewish Bukowinian Stu
alton Reviewed
EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL LIFE
BEGINNING TO FUNCTION NOR
MALI.Y.
Special Correspondence from vienna)
By l.. TAUBES.
Copyright by ]. ]. Z. B.

quainted me with the following par
ticulars concerning Jewish life in
CernOwitZ, where more than a third
in Bukowina generally.
Shortly after the collapse of the
Austrian power, in November 1918,
the Jewish National Council' was or
ganized to act as sole lawful represent
tative in all affairs which concerned
the interests of the Bukowinian Jews.
Represented in this National Council
were all parties which take an active
part in Jewish life: The ZiOnlsts,
| Poale- Zion, Jewish National Party.
Jewish Social Democrats and Ortho-
aox. Thus all the various standpoints
and views were gathered together in
| single organization, which alone wiis
empowered and had the right to speak
| and act in all political matters in the
name of the Jewish population.
The first task of the Jewish Ma
tional Council was: to re-orgaaiZe the
Cernowitz Jewish Community along
aemocratic lines, or TO pun it more ex-
actly, to restore constitutional procc-
dure' in the life of the kehillah. Up
10 that time, the Kehillah had been
conducted by an administration
whom the Austrian authorities had
appointed. according to the custom pre-
vailing in war time. This the Nation
nj Council Immediately changed. All
matters concerning the Kehillah were
divided among five sections. ut the
head of each of which stood one Of
the five parties mentioned above as
participating in the National Coun-
ell. Thus all were equally represent
cd. At the head of the Kehillah stood
Advocate DIR. $. Kinsburger. IL Zion
ist.
With the Roumaniane ieGtry into
power, the Jewish National Council
was brought face to face with mo-
mcntous political problem which 1t
was required to solve with intelligence
and foresight.
Representatives of all natiUnalitics
in Bukowina We're approached by the
Roumanian government, to declare
themselves in favor of the annexation
Of the country to Roumania. The Rou-
inanian Minister for Bukowina. DR..
Plandor. politician already known
to the Jews, Who were well-disposed
toward him. undertook the mission OF
carrying thru Roumania's wish. DIR.
Il t1,,-,, hi mis-
and well, as concerns the other nations.
The Poles Immediately declared them
selves in favor of annexation; the
Ruthenians, naturally were1 opposed.
The Jews said that considering their
experiences with the -ltoumaninn Jew
ish policy. they could not declare
themselves as favoring annexation to
Roumania, and that they must there
fore wait for the decision of the Peace
Conference and submit to the dictum
which should come from Paris. The
nom -Chauvinistic Roumanians and DR..
plandOr with them, deemed the state
ment of the Jewish National Council
proper, that is, from the Jewish stand
point they could understand it. The
outcome was. that aItho the Jews had
not fulfilled the will OF the govern
mcnt, they remained quite free--no
force or compulsion was exercised.
The National Council remained the
lawful representative with which the
government treated concerning all
Jewish matters.
One of the most important problems
which the NATIONAL Council had to
consider was the Jewish school ques-
tion. OF the nOn-Roumanian inhabit-
ants, the Poles and the Ruthenians
were soon permitted their own schools !:
the Jews and the Germans We're as
signed together to the German schools.
This was not agreeable to the Jews.
who as separate nationality. request
cd their own schools. fIut first of
ALL there was an internal controversy
to be fought out here: the old moot
point of Hebrew versus liddish. The
Zionists and the National Party favor
ed Hebrew, the Poale-ZiOliists and the
Jewish Social Democrats demanded
Yiddish. while the Orthodox gronp
was divided on the question. Finally.
the Council agreed. beginning with
the school-year 1919-192U, to inau-
gurate, within II certain period of
years, complete Hebrew curriculum.
With Hebrew as the medium of in
struction, the first class of the folk
school was opened for children who
had been prepared in n Hebrew Kinder
garten. According to the plan. each
year there will he added u further
grade in the folk-school. Later. when