Intermountain Jewish news., 1925-11-05
Weekly Digest
The American Jewish Congress

DoIN is NllNcs IL Tue CONCLUSION NJ winch
the Jewish World" arrives In recent
editorial The paper says: These ses-
sions have shown that the Congress is
really the expression of the hest as.
pirailons In Jewish life, that Il is just
that sensitive body, which records
everything that stirs In the life OF our
people. The last session Of the Con
gress gives convincing evidence that
that hoy is constantly on the watch
and ready to support Jewish interests.
ns conceived by truly national Jews,
and not as interest of mere philnn-
throps for people of paupcrs.'
The Jewish Congress" concludes
the writer. "is alive and active and
will be even more so in the future. ms
the organized will Of the democratic
elements of American Jewry."
That the jewish Congress must take
over all Jewish cultural activities in
America. is the opinion Of u. Riykin in
n previous issue of the same Phindel-
phia paper. The Congress must gain
control over the education OF Jewish
children and unite all scattered Jewish
activities In the country.
Mr.. J. Fishman, commenting in the
Jewish Morning Journal ON the pro-
cecdings Of the Congress. expresses his
satisfaction with the resolution adopted
on the J. ID. c. drive and the alleged
breach on the part of the J. u. G.
leaders OF the so-called harmony reso-
luton" which the j. ID. c. conference
held in Philadelphia in September had
adopted and which WAS generally hailed
as pence treaty with the Zionists.
1T must he conceded" writes Mr..
Fisbman. that, although the organ
iZcd Zionists were not too numerous,
they managed to play the part OF sta
bilizers in a moment when so many
over-excited persons were finding il very
difficult to restrain their wrath. II
would have been too easy to take ad-
vantage of these sentiments and allow
them to result in condemnatiOns and
accusations, which would greatly I'M
peril the peace obtained in Philadel-
phia at the previous J. y. e. confer
ence. The organized Zionists. however.
firmly defended that peace and demon
strated that they were seeing no pre-
text for war And their dignided reso-
luton was adopted almost unani-
mously"
Mr.. l.. Brill. of the English section
of the Jewish Daily News" recalls
the events leading TO the organization
of the Congress first as essentially II
temporary war measure and then as II
permanent institution. 10 the dissatls-
faction OF some elements connected
tions today in American Jcwry are
very unhealthy. There is again that
sensrless comcptition and rivalry be-
tween organizations. We are, 1t seems.
reyerting to the state of affairs which
existed at the time of the Kishineff
mas assncre. n counle OF years after which
the American Jewish Committee was
formed. Repeatedly we have stressed
the urgency for union In American
Jcwry. There is no earthly reason, I'M
less ii he the stubbornness of the
leaders, why American Jews should
not get together and crente one great,
powerful central body. Frankly
speaking, American Jewry is sick and
tired of all the chickering's and strife
which are so characteristic of Jewish
life In this country. The time has
come for the creation of one central
organization, call it what you like.
Names do not natter
A. Wohlyncr. in the "Naye Warheit,"
thinks the American Jewish Congress,
as it now exists, is hut n body without
n soul. Half its soul was cut out
when as "A concession to the American
"Yahudim' the Congress, at the very
start, gave up that most fruitful idea
VI 't"'N
nenily for American Jewish interests.
And the Congress was deprived of the
other half Of its soul, when, shortly
after peace was established In Europe,
the relief activity among European
Jews was monopoized by the Joint
and the defense of the Jewish interests
abroad. by the American Jewish Com
mittec. The leaders Of the Congress
cannot be made entirely responsible for
the present deplorablc state Of affairs.
The Indifference OF the American jew.
ish masses is largely to blame. These
live here as il in tents, exhibiting n
gypsy psychology. or in u sort OF fools
paradise" forgetting or being unaware
Of the fact, that there is q constantly
growing need not only for relief work
among our "brethrcn over the seas,
but of permanent central organization
for the defense of Jewish interests
right here.
4 contrary view is held hy DR. A.