Religious Chalutzim Movement Inaugurated at Mizrachi Youth Convention

The Mizrachi Youth convention, which closed its three-day session here last night, resolved to issue a call to the religious youth of this country to co-operate with Mizrachi in formulating the first religious Chalutzim movement in the United States. The resolution was adopted following an address by Miss Zelda Rosenthal of Detroit who pointed to the desire on the part of hundreds of religious youths to go to Palestine as pioneers. Irving Sadowsky of Rochester was chairman of the convention’s Chalutziuth committee.

Resolutions presented by Dr. S. Sacks of Chicago for the Palestine committee, adopted at the convention, pledged a sum of $5,000 to be realized in the middle western states for the Palestine Mizrachi Fund. Other resolutions called for co-operation of Mizrachi Youth with the parent Mizrachi organization, for the creation of a tag day in every city for the benefit of the Torah v’Avodah Fund, and for the co-operation of the organization with the Jewish National Fund.

Resolutions presented by the educational committee, headed by Samuel Gordon of Buffalo, call for the adoption of an intensive plan of work to include the organization of courses in Jewish history through biographical sketches, lectures on Zionist and Mizrachi movements, study of history and geography of Palestine.

The convention was greeted by Judge Harry B. Keidan of the Wayne

County Circuit Court, who lauded the work of Mizrachi in which he and his father have been interested for many years. Joseph H. Ehrlich, president of the Zionist Organization of Detroit also addressed the convention.

Isidore Epstein, national Mizrachi Youth president, was toastmaster of the banquet which was addressed by Rabbi Moses Fischer, Mrs. Isaac Rosenthal in behalf of Bnos Zion Mizrachi, David Berris of Young Israel, Miss Eva Aronson of Chicago, national vice-president; Samuel Gordon of Buffalo, Philip Slomovitz, editor, “Detroit Jewish Chronicle”; Edward Ruthenberg, Harry Karp and Rabbi Seymour M. Zambrowsky of New York. The principal address was delivered by Rabbi Meyer Berlin, president of the World Mizrachi Organization.

session, Rabbi Berlin reviewed the economic, political, cultural and religious situation of the Jews in the Diaspora. Describing Jewry’s present unfavorable position, he said that the only encouraging factor of Jewish life is the development and progress of the Mizrachi Youth of America and its various branches in Europe, with a total membership of 30,000. He said that the youth in these organizations constitute the background of the Mizrachi’s Chalutzim in Palestine, organized in the Hapoel Hamizrachi.

Rabbi Berlin stressed the fact that the solution of the youth problem depends upon an organization like the Mizrachi Youth whose program is to live a complete Jewish life with Palestine as the central and motivating force which animates and inspires their daily tasks. The speaker criticized such youth organizations which compromise with tradition, the heritage of Israel and the language of the Jewish people and regard Eretz Israel as secondary and subordinate to other endeavors.

Explaining Mizrachi’s conception of Torah v’Avodah, Rabbi Berlin pointed out that the traditional Jew could not accept such doctrines as the religion of labor, nor can he be satisfied with the labor or creed of religion. These, he said, are insufficient and adverse to the spirit of the Torah. The principle which animates Mizrachi, he declared, is Torah and Avodah mutually complementary, mutually supplementary and yet in separable elements of one entity, the Torah. He appealed to the delegates at the convention to continue their good work and to inspire and lead others to join them in their efforts to solve the problem of the Jew here as well as in Palestine.

Herbert Eskin, president of Detroit Mizrachi Youth, presided at the opening session, at which greetings were presented by Rabbi E. Aishiskin in behalf of the Detroit Mizrachi; Rabbi I. Stollman, in behalf of the local Rabbinical Council; Leon Kay, for the Jewish National Fund, A. M. Pregerson for the Zionist Organization, Mrs. H. L. Jackson for Hadassah and Miss Winifred Lewis for Junior Hadassah.

Addresses at the opening session were delivered by Rabbi Seymour M. Zambrowsky, executive director of the Mizrachi Youth; Isidore Epstein, national president; Harry Karp, national vice-president.