The Denver Jewish news., 1925-07-16
BY BERNARD G. RICHARDS

Inc American Jewish Congress
has, since its formation in 1916,
proven to be a unifying force in the
Jewish community life in the United
States not only by precept, by con-
stantly summoning all classes and
matters affecting the interests Of our
people, but also by the notable ex-
ample of having actually brought to-
gether all American Jewish forces to
compose their differences of thought
and to labor together in the great
and historic task which was placed
before American Israel in the matter
of presenting the claims of Jewish
people before the Peace Conference
of Versailles in 1919.
The distinctive success there and
then achieved, with the great aid of
the American Government, was as
much due to the alliance of all the
classes and groups in Jewish life as
to the democratic form of organiza-
tion with its attendant popular ap-
peal, which at n, time when public
opinion counted for so much, served
to focus worldwide attention upon
the just claims of the Jewish people.
Jews throughout Eastern Europe
continue to be grateful to American
Israel for this work of benevolence
and far-sighted preventive relief
which resulted in having the Minority
Clauses written into the Treaties, and
naturally all of our brethren, far and
wide, who are interested in the jew
ish re-settlement of Palestine, con-
tinue also to bless the efforts of the
Congress Delegation before the Peace
Conference in behalf of that land.
The second or permanent Ameri-
can Jewish Congress, formed at the
adjournment of the original body,
which according to agreement was
convened on a temporary or wartime
basis, has for numerous reasons, in
cluding perhaps also that of human
perverseness and stubbornness, not
been able to rally all the Jewish or
ganizations and circles which be-
longed to the first Congress. But the
fact remains that besides the notable
efforts of the last three years, in pre-
venting the violation of Jewish
rights, in combating anti-Semitism,
in helping refugees and in fighting
for liberal attitude toward the i'm
migrant, We have continued to pro
mote the cause of Jewish unity again,
both by precept and example, by hav-
ing twenty-three national and central
organizations and committees in a
hundred or more cities working to.
gether in connection with immediate
problems affecting our people, instead
of each group speaking and acting by
itself, in perhaps a manner that
would have increased such duplica.
tion and confusion as still exist. Tc
be sure there are now three or more
groups of Jews, but the American
Jewish Congress, by holding together
ganizations and communities, has W
to date been the one great unifyinl
force in American Israel and has
done the largest share of work il
preventing conflict and duplication
But though we have come nearest t
the goal has not yet been achieved
We therefore continue to summon
and call all Jews to come together
and unite in one representative ant
authoritative body of American Israel
The American Jewish Congress
will meet again next fall. The cal
will then go out once more to al
Jewish organizations and communi
ties to send representatives to assem-
BILE once more, to join and to hell
shape the organization as united wis
dom will counsel, giving voice, dig
nifty and responsibility to every see
tion of Jewry. All Jews are brethrel
or they are not all Jews.
Being brethren and having tn
same interests closely at heart, al
important elements in Jewry hav
acted in unison on occasions outsid
of the time when they co-operated i
the Congress- Nou will recall tina
during the last few years at import
ant hearings on the immigratio
question in Washington, and in max
ing representation or pronounce
ments with regard to other subjects