Raising Funds for Jewish Land Purchase in Palestine: Jewish National Fund Bazaar in East London

I do not remember a time when contracts of land purchase in Palestine assumed courageously by our leaders there, more urgently call for your monetary support, Mr. Robert B. Solomon, the President of the Jewish National Fund for Great Britain and Ireland, said in opening last night in Whitechapel the thirteenth annual bazaar of the East London Jewish National Fund Commission.

The reason is this, he went on. You all know that legislation threatened in the past is now happily receding in danger. The legislation which loomed before us like a dark cloud some eight or ten months ago induced our leaders to take their courage in their hands and contract for land which they at the time had not the money to pay for. I don’t think any Zionist would blame them. The contracts then entered into have got to be fulfilled and there is the greatest anxiety at headquarters in Jerusalem lest we fail to produce those funds; lest deposits placed are jeopardised and lest these valuable lands be transferred to others. Therefore it behoves us to strain every nerve to help headquarters to fulfil their contracts. Apart from that urgent aspect of our endeavour we find all over the world conditions of deep depression and this country has to some extent escaped that depression. I think it is fair to say that we are better off than people elsewhere. Therefore all eyes are turned on us in the hope that we will be able to fill the gaps which show in the collections elsewhere.

Mr. W. N. Williams, the Chairman of the Bazaar, Councillor M. H. Davis, L. C. C., and others also spoke.

Thirty-nine Societies, nine synagogues, nine trade associations and seven exhibitors are holding stalls at the Bazaar this year. A “Mizrach Annual” has been published in connection with the Bazaar, containing 80 pages of literary and advertising material, including articles by Dr. Moses gaster, Mr. Louis Golding, Mrs. Israel Zangwill, and Mr. Leon Simon.