Organized Jewish labor in New York City pledged its support to the United Jewish Campaign at a conference of delegates representing a constituency of 328,000 workingmen and women in New York City, called for the purpose of mobilizing Jewish labor for the $6,000,000 United Jewish Campaign of New York, which begins on April 11th, and which will be under the direction of William Fox as chairman. A resolution adopted at the conference imposes a tax of $1.00 annually for three years on each member of the labor organizations This was understood to be in addition to individual contributions by members. $10,000 was pledged by the “Forward” Association.
Nearly 250 delegates were present at the conference which was convened by the People’s Relief Committee. The principal addresses were made by Folix M. Warburg, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee; Herbert H. Lehman, chairman of the Reconstruction Committee of that body; both of whom are leading bankers; B. Charney Vladek, general manager of the “Forward,” a Jewish daily newspaper and Boruch Zuckerman, secretary of the People’s Relief Committee, and H. D. Nomberg, Jewish writer, who just returned from Poland. The conference was presided over by Alexander Kahn, chairman of the People’s Relief Committee.
MORE THAN PALLIATIVE RELIEF, MR. FELIX WARBURG DECLARES
Mr. Warburg, who was the first speaker, said that the Joint Distribution Committee was about to liquidate a year ago because indications were that Jewish economic conditions were such that no further relief funds would be needed. Then came the present economic crisis, of which the Jews are the chief victims. In Poland, in Austria, in Roumania, in Lithuania, in Esthonia, Bessarabia and Germany, Jews were threatened with the degradation of the soup-kitchen, and it was planned by the Joint Distribution Committee not to limit its efforts to palliative relief but to create credits which would enable Jewish artisans and merchants to tide over until the economic situation of Europe would be stabilized.
In Russia, a great opportunity was being afforded thousands of Jews to settle as farmers and the Joint Distribution Committee was lending every possible aid to the Jews to take advantage of this opportunity. Fifty thousand Jews were already settled on the land in Russia and the outlook for them, he said, is very bright.
“You who are closest to the people we want to help, understand their need best,” he added. “You know the horror of being out of a job–the horror of hopelessness. And you know, too, that the people we are trying to help were always an upstanding self-respecting people. We don’t want to make soup-kitchen people out of them. We must save them from that.
“The Joint Distribution Committee has spent more money than it possessed. It has borrowed money on personal notes signed by some of its members–nearly a million dollars, because we could not wait–not even for the self-satisfied rich who attend to their luxuries first, and then give a little charity. You are kin to those who cry for help from overseas. You will help.”
Col. Herbert H. Lehman, chairman of the Reconstruction Committee of the Joint Distribution Committee, reported on the reconstruction work.
“The task which faces the Joint Distribution Committee in Europe is three-fold: the work to be done in Russia, the work to be done in Palestine, and the work in other parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe,” he declared.
“In Russia, the only way in which further existence can be assured for the Jews is to help make the traders and middlemen of the cities into productive workers, to give them a chance of earning their bread as hand workers or as farmers. There is supremely the opportunity of helping the great back to the farm movement which was begun among the Jews of Russia. We have now the opportunity of helping more than 20,000 families to establish their livelihoods on farms. This work is no longer an experiment. There are today thousands and thousands already established on the land making a living by their own hands for themselves and their families.
“As regards the situation in Palestine, we have always helped Palestine. Out of nearly $60,000,000 spent by the Joint Distribution Committee in the ten years of its work, about $7,000,000– a fairly large proportion–was spent in Palestine. Among the most important constructive work accomplished by the Reconstruction Committee of the Joint Distribution Committee was the establishment of the Kupath Milveh, which is the largest free loan association in the world and the organization of the Central Bank of Cooperatives, which has $250,000 invested in loans to the cooperatives in Palestine. The Kupath Milveh is the organization making loans to individuals while the Central Bank deals exclusively with cooperatives,” he stated.
MR. VLADECK DESCRIBES PLIGHT ABROAD
B. C. Vladeck, in his address, stated: “When one wants to point to the saddest period in Jewish history, the Spanish Inquisition period is recalled. To a certain extent, however, the present situation of the Jews overseas is much worse. Then, in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the Jews had a place to go. The same Pope who persecuted them so terribly in Spain allowed them to enter Rome. They could also go to Morocco. They could find refuge in certain European countries. Today, they have no place to go. It is the first time in the history of the Jews that they have no place where to escape from their misery.
“The Zionists point to Palestine. Other point to Canada and the Argentine, but this is only for individual Jews. There is no place for a mass immigration. In Russia, the situation of the Jews is better than in Poland. In Russia they are not persecuted and it is hoped that the situation will finally he settled in Russia. In the meantime, the revolution has overthrown the Jews who were mainly ‘Luftmenschen.’ We must aid in the attempt to help these people.
“Until now the labor masses have done relief work more in credit than in cash. One must say in truth that they have by far not performed what they could and should have done for their suffering brethren.”
Mr. H. D. Nomberg, who addressed the conference on behalf of the Jewish School Association in Poland, characterized the situation there as one of hopelessness.
A small number of Communist delegates, led by Dr. E, Wattenburg, attempted to force a motion that the People’s Relief Committee work independently of the Joint Distribution Committee and that the monies, assigned to Russia should be administered by Communists. They were, however, refuted by delegates Chanin, S. Wallace, Baskin, L. Siegel and Bunchok. All the resolutions proposed by the Resolutions Committee were accepted.
The following organizations participated in Sunday’s conference: Workmen’s Circle, National Jewish Workmen’s Alliance, United Hebrew Trades, Amalgamated Clothing Worker’s Association; Socialist Zionist, Party Poale Zion, Jewish Socialist Verband, Fancy Leather Workers, the International Ladies Carment Worker’s Union.
LEGIONNAIRES JOIN ZIONIST REVISIONISTS
The organization of former Jewish Legionnaires unanimously decided to join the Zionist Revisionist group, of which Vladimir Jabotinsky is the leader.
This decision was taken at a reception in honor of Mr. Jabotinsky, held in Webster Hall, Sunday night, after a speech delivered by Mr. Jabotinsky. Mr. E. Ginsburgh presided at the reception.
The resolution read: “The League of Legionnaires, representing a major part of the American Jewish Legion, which as a branch of the British Army aided in the liberation of Palestine and thus toward the fulfillment of the Balfour Declaration, voices its complete approval and unreserved endorsement of the Zionist political program as formulated by Vladimir Jabotinsky. The League of Legionnaires further wishes to express full confidence in the leader of the League of Zionist Revisionists, Vladimir Jabotinsky, whose record as a Zionist and whose personality symbolize the spirit which the Revisionist platform is introducing into Zionist political leadership. The League of Legionnaires furthermore pledges itself to support and assist in the realization of the Revisionist program.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
