Union of Roumanian Jews Ready to Join Jewish Agency but Not Invited

The Union of Roumanian Jews, non-Zionist body, is ready to join the extended Jewish Agency but has so far received no invitation to do so, it appeared from a statement issued by Dr. William Filderman, president, to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Dr. Filderman declared as entirely baseless a report which appeared recently in a New York Jewish daily that he conducted an anti-Zionist campaign in Roumania which caused the Zionists to break off their negotiations with him regarding participation in the Jewish Agency. The Zionists have never approached him, he said, although he was unaware of the reasons, since his organization has frequently supported the Zionists. If the Union of Roumanian Jews will not participate in the extended Jewish Agency it will be entirely the fault of the Zionists, he said, adding that he never spoke against Zionism but only against those Zionist leaders who “used Zionism during the last elections in Roumania as a weapon in their campaign.”

Dr. Filderman described as libelous a report which appeared in a New York Jewish paper that he withheld Zionist monies which he received from the United States earmarked for the Jewish famine victims in Bessarabia. He intends, he stated, to institute libel proceedings against the paper. All the money he received from the United States was the amount of $150 from the United Roumanian Jews of America which he forwarded to Chief Rabbi Zirelson of Kishineff.

The president of the Union of Roumanian Jews further denied that his organization adopted a program which would in effect transform the organization into a Jewish national party in Roumania. Deputy Theodor Fischer approached him with such a proposal, but it was found that an agreement was not possible. “It is impossible to carry on common work with men who declare that a Jewish national policy must be pursued in Roumania even if it led to failure and economic misery,” Dr. Filderman declared.