The attitude of the Polish Government in protecting the rights of Polish Jews in Germany was the subject of a high tribute paid by 450 delegates representing 50,000 members of the Federation of Polish Jews, at the 25th annual convention of the organization which opened at the Hotel Astor Saturday night.
Benjamin Winter, president of the Federation, and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise led a group of speakers who were unanimous in approving of the Polish action during the current crisis in Germany.
Mr. Winter declared that Jews throughout the world are grateful and civilization in general applauds Poland’s attainment of “the highest standards of statesmanship”.
OPENED DOORS TO REFUGEES
“Poland”, said Mr. Winter, “not only registered its sharp and effective protest with Germany, but had also in numerous instances opened its own doors to German-Jewish refugees.”
Rabbi Wise, recalling the aid given by Poland to Jews following the Arab riots in Palestine four years ago, enumerated present Polish action as the second occasion in current history in which Poland has come to the aid of belabored Jews.
“The Polish republic will find that it shall gain a new place in life, if it, in contradistinction to the German Reich, observes equity and justice with regard to all its minority peoples and, most of all, to that racial and religious minority bound up through centuries of history with the happy and unhappy fortunes of Poland,” he said.
DRIFT TO PALESTINE
Mr. Winter described the recent influx of 2,000 Jews monthly into Palestine. He expressed hope that the development of this country will solve or at least salve the problems of Jewish exiles and called for help from the League of Nations on colonization plans.
Morris Rothenberg, president of the Zionist Organization of America, flayed Dr. Hans Luther, German Ambassador to the United States for the latter’s efforts to sway American sympathies toward Nazi activities and policies by means of “inaccurate” statements.
Mr. Rothenberg described the change already effected in Palestine by German-Jewish refugees. He stated that where once only Russian, Polish and Hebrew were spoken, German now has become common.
PLIGHT OF POLAND’S JEWRY
Z. Tygel, executive director, told of Jews in Poland. He said that of the unfavorable economic plight one-third of the 300,000 Jews in Warsaw are forced to appeal for aid to the charities. Mr. Tygel told of the distress caused among the Jews of Poland by the government’s “monopols” of industries and its refusal to employ Jews. He also said that although Jews constitute only 11 percent of the population, and most of these are poverty-stricken, they are forced to pay forty percent of the nation’s taxes.
Other speakers were George I. Fox, Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, Sol Rosenfeld, Herman B. Oberman, H. Wolofsky, and H. Tuch, vice-presidents of the Federation.
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.
