News Brief

Endorse Jewish Agency for Palestine at Sessions (Jewish ##)

The seventh convention of the Young Poale Zion of America adopted a resolution to support the working youth of Palestine, in order to strengthen their position in the homeland and organize mass meetings throughout the country to protest against the persecutions of the Socialist Zionists in Soviet Russia at its concluding business session here.

Support for Norman Thomas and James Maurer, Socialist candidates in the forthcoming presidential campaign was decided on. A budget of $5,000 was adopted, of which a considerable part was subscribed at the banquet. the other hand, does not mean that they cease to be Jews.

This information is given and the assertion is made by Conrad Bernhard, Jr. of the Committee on Publication for the State of Maryland of the Christian Science Church replying to an inquiry published by the columnist Charles K. Joseph.

“In a recent issue of ‘The Jewish Times’ the writer of ‘Random Thoughts’ inquired whether or not ‘a Jew or Jewess who joins the Christian Science Church, automatically severs his or her connection with Judaism,” writes Mr. Bernhard, Jr. “The answers to this question to be clear must contain definitions of the phrase ‘connection with Judaism,’ or at least explanations of its understood meaning.

“If by ‘connection with Judaism’ is meant continued belief in the religion of the Jews in its spiritual aspects, and as a revelation from God through His prophets for the benefit of mankind, then there need be no severance of this connection, Jesus of Nazareth, the founder of Christianity, was born a Jew and remained a Jew throughout his earthly life. He said to His students, ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.’ No doubt it is that thought, that Christian Science by reinstating primitive Christianity is seeking the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, which Jewish Christian Scientists are endeavoring to transmit to the writer of ‘Random Thoughts,’ when they ‘insist that they have not given up their faith.’ In once discussing this matter with a Jewish Christian Scientist, he said to me. ‘Christian Science has made me a better Jew.

“On the other hand, if by ‘connection with Judaism’ is meant membership in a Jewish synagogue or temple, then this membership must be completely dissolved before a ‘Jew or Jewess’ can become a member of a Christian Science Church.”