3,500 Chalutzim Are Waiting for Permission to Proceed to Palestine

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The Chalutzim movement, the subject of praise and song for their herole devotion to the ideal of Zion rebuilt, is living through a critical financial situation which threatens a serious falling off of its membership. This state of affairs was depicted in reports to the international conference of the Hechaluz, the international Jewish youth organization which trains its members for pioneer work in Palestine.

This condition is due to the continued economic crisis in Palestine which has resulted in a cessation of immigration. Reports from many countries showed a falling off of membership and charged that the Hechalutz is almost outlawed from the Zionist movement, receiving little financial assistance from the Zionist Organization. Seventy-five per cent, of the funds which enable the organization to continue its work in various countries were derived from non-Zionist quarters, including the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Emigdirekt, the Independent Order B’nai Brith, the Ort and various kehillahs, the report stated.

The Hechalutz organization has a membership of 18,520. Thirty-five hundred young men have completed their training and are waiting to go to Palestine. Between the years 1919 and 1926 as many as 9,500 former members of the Hechalutz were in Palestine.

A memorandum submitted by the representatives of the Hechalutz in Russia, which is legalized by the Soviet authorities, asked for funds to enable its members who have completed their training to go to Palestine and also for those Zionists who have been exiled to Siberia and have the Soviet government’s permission to proceed to Palestine. The Russian Hechalutz has a membership of 3,000. The memorandum also complained that the Ort had not assisted it. Representatives of eleven countries attended the conference which concluded its sessions yesterday.