The draft of the constitution of the extended Jewish Agency has been practically completed, following a meeting of the Zionist and non-Zionist representatives and the non-Zionist members of the Agency have been selected, Louis Marshall announced Wednesday evening at the opening dinner of the Eastern Parkway Division of the United Palestine Appeal Drive. His first public appearance under local U. P. A. auspices was utilized by Mr. Marshall to answer the implied criticism of those who have challenged the sincerity of the non-Zionists in giving reality to the Weizmann-Marshall agreement.
Together with Mayor James J. Walker, Mr. Marshall was the guest of honor at the dinner in the Brooklyn Jewish Center, inaugurating the $100,000 Eastern Parkway U. P. A. Campaign. Speakers in addition to Mr. Marshall were Mayor Walker, Rabbi Israel H. Levinthal, and Justice Mitchell May, Honorary Chairman of the Brooklyn Division of the U. P. A. Henry Seinfel, Chairman of the Dinner Committee, introduced Rabbi Louis D. Gross, campaign chairman, as the toastmaster. The sum of $40,000 in cash and pledges was raised.
Making an eloquent plea for unity in all ranks of Jewry, the assurance was given by Mr. Marshall that the unanimous pledge of the October conference, where the Jewish Agency pact was ratified, was given with the full realization that Palestine requires “superhuman work and eventually a huge sum of money.” Once the extended Jewish Agency is formally called into being, following the World Zionist Congress in July, the non-Zionists will be ready to assume the full extent of their obligations. The past performances of the non-Zionist leaders, he indicated, are sufficient guarantee that they will not be satisfied “by merely talking.” The dawn of a new era of giving when there will be “the contribution of sums larger than you have expected by all,” was forecast by him. There will be no saving of money through this combination, he said. Coupled with it, was the
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warning to the Zionists that anticipation of non-Zionist contributions must not be a signal for diminished efforts on their part.
Describing the composition of the extended Jewish Agency, Mr. Marshall said, there will be 200 or 210 members, of which one-half will be non-Zionists. “The non-Zionists of America will have a 40% representation or 40 or 44 members. The Committee has agreed on the names of the 44 to represent the non-Zionists. I can assure you they are the names of men of whom no one need be ashamed. As far as we are concerned, as soon as the Zionist Congress is held in July, we will be ready to attend a meeting at which the non-Zionists and the Zionists will be ready to assume the obligations attached to the Jewish Agency. The all important thing in Jewish life has been unity-one God, one Israel. There is nothing more hateful than suspicion and looking askance.
“The conference of October, 1928, voted unanimously to join the extended Jewish Agency knowing that it required superhuman work and eventually a huge sum of money. They have never turned their backs on their brethren. They have been largely instrumental in raising $80,000,000 for relief; they have built our cultural and philanthropic institutions. They were induced by the sentiment that all Jews are brethren and that there must be unity in Israel. We have not been satisfied by merely talking, making promises.”
Explaining his personal attitude to Palestine, Mr. Marshall declared: “I am a non-Zionist, but I have always from my earliest days, had the deepest love for the Holy Land. My mother impressed that feeling in me. When I prayed ‘next year in Jerusalem,’ it had a sentiment for me. I had a great love for Palestine whence came the greatest contribution to the civilization of the world. But I was born in the United States and I loved it for the humanity and the liberality and the justice it accorded the Jew. So it was natural I should feel the dual attraction for the home of my birth and the home of my ancestors.
“For a long time I looked upon Zionism as a beautiful dream. I was happy that there were people who could dream dreams and see visions. But there were ideas conected with that dream which I could not accept. There is, however, one thing which I accepted and which every Jew can accept-the sense of duty and obligation to help rebuild Palestine for those Jews who desire to live there. To make of Palestine a Jewish Center, a Jewish Home for culture where there might be a place of refuge for our brothers and sisters in lands of oppression to live under their own vine and fig tree.
“There were those who were anti-Zionists. To me it seemed impossible that anybody could oppose the hope of the Zionists because they were built on beautiful ideals. I always thought it a crime to cast doubts and suspicion on those who think beautiful ideas.”
Turning to the Zionists, he urged them to renewed effort in behalf of Palestine. “Don’t expect miracles from the fact that there is unity and that there will be a Jewish Agency, ” he warned. “Your work is not over. It means hard work for all, cooperation by all. Nobody is going to save money by this combination. A larger constituentcy means larger funds. It will mean we have got to be one and inseparable. We must not grow weary in doing well. When the leaders of the 4,000,000 Jews in the United States are united and after them follow leaders from abroad, we will have an invincible army. But if we begin to reduce instead of increasing our contributions, another story will have to be told.
“We cannot permit the bankruptcy of the Jewish people. The failure of Palestine as a venture will be an everlasting disgrace to the Jews. There is hope, everywhere, if we consider ourselves one and not two. We are the people of monotheism. We must be equally one in our action to the land which gave the world monotheism.
“If you ever get enough Jews in Palestine to have a Jewish state, have it. I won’t live to see the day. You won’t and your children won’t. But we can live to see there a body of Jews of whom we can be proud.
“Let us forget about the future and concentrate on the present. Let us develop Palestine economically. Let us encourage the Hebrew University and everything spiritual. Let us show the world that Zionists and non-Zionists recognize that the only worthwhile things is our sacred faith, our trust in God and the great principles the Jews have given the world,” he concluded.
Introduced as the symbol of the Christian world, Mayor Walker expressed the wish that as that symbol he could unite non Jews with Jews in working for Palestine rehabilitation.
“The Jews have done so much for the city of New York, why shouldn’t New York do something for Palestine?” he said.
More than half of the $2,000 quota of Danbury, Conn, for the United Palestine Appeal was raised at a meeting held in the United Jewish Center. The amount contributed at this initial meeting was $1,100.
The meeting was presided over by Nathan Spiro, chairman of the local United Palestine Appeal committee.
Jewish residents of Aberdeen and the Grays Harbor district in the state of Washington, have banded into a congregation known as Beth Israel, and will construct a new synagogue, it was announced. The synagogue will cost approximately $6,000. It will be the only synagogue in the harbor district. Construction will start next month.
An initial sum of $5,000 to assist the 65,000 Jews facing starvation in Lithuania as a result of the 1928 crop failure, has been cabled to a committee in Lithuania. The relief fund was established under the auspices of the Federation of American Jews of Lithuanian Descent. As a result of the appeal which has been sent out to the Jews of the United States, conferences have been called in various cities for the purpose of raising funds. Levi Rokeach is treasurer of the relief fund. Other members are Henry Hurwitz, Harry H. Kabat, Meyer Keilson, Israel Matz and Herman L. Winer.
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.
