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Council of 50 to Direct Boycott Named by British Jews at London Conference

November 8, 1933
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A resolution to boycott all German goods was officially adopted yesterday at a conference of Anglo-Jewish organizations in London, which also elected a council of fifty prominent British Jews to coordinate the anti-German boycott movement in England. The conference was attended by 530 delegates representing some 360 Anglo-Jewish bodies with a total membership of 170,000.

The English boycott conference was organized by the recently formed Jewish Representative Council, which is composed of Anglo-Jewish groups dissatisfied with the official attitude, particularly that of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which refuses to proclaim a boycott on German goods.

Sir Robert Mond, prominent British industrialist, joined the newly-formed boycott organization, but was unable to be present, as he is ill. In a message sent to the conference, Sir Robert declared that he was willing to join the executive committee of the boycott organization and to devote himself to the boycott movement.

Three distinguished British Jews, two of whom, Philip Guedalla, the noted historian and biographer, and Dr. David Jochelman, are members of the Board of Deputies and Dr. Moses Gaster, former president of the English Zionist Federation, moved the passage of the resolution to boycott all German goods. The boycott resolution was unanimously adopted.

The conference received messages of support from Jewish organizations all over the world, including messages from the leaders of the American boycott, Samuel Untermyer and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise.

Many delegates from other countries were present at the conference and extended greetings including the well-known Zionist leader, Dr. Nahum Goldmann, Deputy Mincberg of Poland and Dr. Samuel Margoshes, New York editor.

Dr. Margoshes described the similarity between the fight of the English Jews for the boycott and the fight of the American Jews who, he said, successfully fought against their own leaders to organize the boycott movement in the United States.

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