The creation of a World Federation of Jewish Artisans is proposed by the Central Federation of Jewish Artisans in Germany. In a statement it has issued on the subject, the Federation declares:
The economic position of the Jews has in the last decade undergone a very big change in respect to their occupational structure. The course of economic development, the organization of cooperative, etc., are resulting, in practically all countries, in the Jews being pushed out of the economic positions which they have previously held in banking, trading and transport. Large sections of the Jewish middle class are fighting hard for their existence, and are in danger of being proletarianized. However deplorable these appearances are, it must not, however, be overlooked that they bear within them the seeds of economic sanitation. With the realization of the extent to which the Jew is being pushed out of economic life and becoming declassed, comes the recognition that salvation from economic ruin can come about only along the road of productive work. The efforts at agricultural colonization in Russia, and the extensive work of the O. R. T. in Poland and Roumania, are important signs of this recognition.
More powerful and more significant than the transference of Jews to agriculture is the fact that in Central and Western Europe the Jewish youth is seeking in growing numbers to enter artisanship. It is no exaggeration to say that it is already established that artisanship among the Jews will in the coming years mature to an important stage of development. The Jewish artisans who have hitherto held high the idea of productive Jewish work are everywhere found in the van of those who are working actively to promote the productivization of the Jewish population. The position of the Jewish artisans themselves is not yet sufficiently firmly established. They are fighting for their existence, and generally they are in a much worse position than their non-Jewish colleagues in the same profession, because they also have to suffer from the process under which Jews are everywhere being ejected from their economic positions. Non-Jewish contractors rarely employ them, and they are very seldom able to get State or Municipal contracts. The Jewish artisans have long since recognized that for them, too, the only way is along the road of organization, the unification of all their forces in order to assure their existence.
The idea of the organization of Jewish artisanship has in recent years found many friends. In practically all the countries of Jewish settlement in Eastern or Central Europe, powerful Jewish artisanship organizations have been formed. The powerful Jewish ar (Continued on Page 4)
tisan movement has arisen out of the idea of self-help. The common need and the common suffering of the Jewish artisans in the various countries make it seem necessary that the various Jewish artisan organizations should be concentrated into a World Federation of Jewish Artisanship.
The objects of such a Federation would be: (1) Concentration of all Jewish artisan organizations into a World Federation of Jewish Artisans: (2) representation of the Jewish artisans in all the Jewish organizations and general trade federations, especially those which are engaged in an activity to promote the productivization of the Jews: (3) creation and extension of credit institutions and co-operatives for Jewish artisans: (a) in various countries through the establishment of credit cooperatives; (b) through the concentration of the various cooperative credit institutions of Jewish artisanship into a big central bank, for the purpose of centralized regulation of the credit aid activity of the individual cooperative banks; (c) unified, and therefore cheaper, purchase of machinery and raw materials, and possibly the taking over of the finished articles for the purpose of export; (4) the creation of technical organizations for the purpose of exchanging technical experiences and improving the methods of work: (5) the creation of an advisory office to give economic and technical advice in artisanship; (6) promotion of the work of training apprentices, the study of the economic position of the various branches of handicraft with a view to introducing the Jewish youth into those branches which offer the best prospects; (7) the organization of conferences of Jewish artisans for the purpose of exchanging views and experiences, and the setting up of organizations to establish friendly relations between the artisans of various countries, the statement concludes.
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, and its affiliated organizations. The Rabbinical Council The Women’s Branch. The Collegiate Branch and the Hubouim, the Inter Scholastic League of the Jewish Youth., will hold their national convention on March 16, 17 and 18, in New York, Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein, President of the Union, announced. The sessions will be held at the new Yeshiva College Building, Amsterdam Avenue and 186th Street, New York City.
Application for a permit to build a synagogue to be known as the Beth-El Synagogue of Waterbury, Corm., has been field with the Building Inspector and plans submitted for his approval. The building is expected to cost about $100,000.
This is the structure in which a $150,000 drive was conducted several months ago by the Beth El congregation. The remaining amount, over the cost of the building, was needed for the purchase of the land and furniture to the used in the edition.
The plans call for a one story brick structure of large proportions. In the basement will be an assenibly room. The first floor will hold the synagogue proper and this will be flunked by a small synagogue.
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.
