The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1942-07-17
Democracy In Jewish Affairs


The cry is perennaly raised, "Le have Democracy
OC Weekly STRESSES the fac
that four families control several leading national
Jewish bOdes whose combined budgets total 10 millions
annually. This is used example OF sefperpetuatng
Boards whose nterOckng directories closely control such
important agencies the American Jewish Committee and
the Joint Distribution Committee that few individuals
are enabled impose their point of view and their control
the entire Jewish world The inference is that this
viewpoint being based the comparatively sterile charity
raising disbursement idea of Judaism must nev-
aby lead complete waShOu from Jewish life OF those
who held to by such comparatively fragile thread
One sympathzes with the idea of the American Jewish
Congress- namely that sapponted leaders can no longer
spokesman for American Jewry matter how rich
or able such people may be- American Jewry has come OF
age and is quite able to speak for ITSELF
The American Jewish Committee for example, is COM
posed of very able and devoted peoples but since is not
duly elected representative body must with the
that the former cannot really speak for all OF us
The Council of Federations and Welfare Funds is also
very necessary and splendidy functonlng agency IN
Jewish fe but it still is simply the national clearing mouse
of the fundraisers and distributors in midst Import
ant this there OF Jews to whom
ing only incidental phase OF the vast toalty OF
acknowledgement That is why the declarations OF Jew
community life That is why the above Council Deng rep
resentave Of only major section Of Jewish me- canne
be permitted, through system OF Oudget cOntrO So
control Jewish life in general
Now we have the General Jewish Council, noble ex
pertinent get four of the most important national jewish
agencies to cooperate Useful and necessary as sucn m
agency be ad interim the GJC still is not truly repre-
sentative of Jewry at the grass-rOOts. 900
What about the American Jewish Congress ltSeH mi
theory the Congress to have been set up as Truly
democratic national agency, composed OF the representa-
ves of the local Jewish communities scattered over e
whole country What has actually happened is tnat Che
Congress has fallen into the hands of few people,
it has become sounding board The Congress IS not te
bearer of the will of American Jewry Witness the up
split which has occurred between the Congress anu C
Zionist Organization of America. The leadership OF Unes
two groups lay in the hands OF the same people lor
eration but when the present Zionist leadership
such men as Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Louis LlpKy
speak for the Congress- could longer speak Tor tne
1t thus happens that the Congress can no longer spear
for the East European segment of American JewlSh NE
The point of all this is that truly national 0emOcld'
really representative organ, WHICH Ca"
the bearer of the will of American
roots will never come by organization from the TOP ma
is where the Congress, well as all the Ctner H" G
agencies that 90 about organizing SO cale0 JEWISH
ellis" in the local communities, make their mistake
Community Councils spontaneously appearing III @
local communities as the result OF trlai-an0eIrc
ments in which the communities have been ndulgng ouc
Councils are learning to let adult Jew IN the
ty be member merely by declaring ms Geslre 80 y. 70
the mass membership is being permitted 10 egc' e
senatives to the governing bodies OF such COunc1'
Councils feel will not be true Kehllahs ana VIII nC' W
tate to individual Jews Jewish organizations Wndt e
can or cannot do: but they will act clearing mouse I
the Qualification of communal thought on matters VI s
era Jewish interest and than act as spokesman IO ~
whole local Jewry after such Qualification mas DSeH
cd Embarrassing while important phase Oh the "OA u