After a stormy session in which a tremendous amount of opposition developed the sixteenth annual convention of the Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, meeting at the Pennsylvania Hotel, yesterday pronounced a “Cherem” (a sentence of excommunication) against any Jew handling, buying or even dealing with any firm handling German goods or any products coming from Germany.
The sentence of excommunication was pronounced in the course of a colorful ceremony that included the reading of the resolution in Hebrew, the blowing of the shofer, the ram’s horn used only on the New Year and the Day of Atonement, by a bearded rabbi clad in the traditional prayer shawl, and the extinguishing of the two giant candles that flanked the table at which the presiding officers sat. The candles were extinguished with blows of the presiding officer’s gavel and from many lips was heard the wish that the Hitler government might be extinguished in the same way.
The official English translation of the resolution adopted states: “We urge all not to knowingly violate this boycott which we have this day declared.”
The session at which this action was taken was featured by fiery speeches with many Biblical and Talmudic quotations and the stubborn opposition of a few of the rabbis who left the conference rather than participate in the solemn action of the assembly.
Earlier, the rabbis had listened to an address by Samuel Untermyer, chief American advocate of the anti-German boycott, in which he asked for the support of the Rabbinical Assembly and denounced those who would bargain with Hitler to salvage a few possessions of the German Jews.
REFUSED TO DEAL WITH HITLER
Mr. Untermyer stated that he had refused to have anything to do with the Hitlerites or negotiate with them in any way. “When Hitler sent word that he would like to see me,” said Mr. Untermyer, “I sent word back to him ‘to go to Hell’.” He urged the rabbis to declare for the boycott and stressed the fact that the boycott was a legitimate and tried method with which to combat Hitlerism.
A radiogram from Rabbi A. J. Hacohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine, in which Rabbi Kook denounced the reports of the orange deals with the German government as lies, and urged the Assembly “not to stay its hand,” was read at the meeting.
The chief feature of the afternoon session of the Assembly was an address by William E. Sweet, former governor of Colorado, and representative of the National Recovery Administration.
Over 100 rabbis from various parts of the country and from Canada were present at the deliberations which began on Tuesday and which closed with a banquet last night.
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.
