The Jews of America must bury all differences of opinion and unite to stem the disaster that has befallen the Jews of Germany and which may also seriously effect Jews everywhere, Felix M. Warburg, noted philanthropist and banker, declared yesterday in a statement setting forth the reasons which moved him to accept the chairmanship of the $3,000,000 United Jewish Appeal.
The aim of the appeal is to provide funds for the relief and rehabilitation of Jews in Germany and other lands and for the settlement of Jews in Palestine. Associated with Mr. Warburg as cochairmen are Paul Baerwald, Louis Lipsky. Morris Rothenberg and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise.
“The situation of the Jews of Germany is so tragic that everything that their brother-Jews throughout the rest of the world can do to alleviate their suffering should and must be done,” Mr. Warburg declared. “That, of course, would be so in the case of Jews in any country where the wolves of anti-Semitism may be at large,” he continued. “That would be equally so, in the case of Jews in misery anywhere in the world. And, in truth, to the great honor of the Jews of America, they have always felt it to be their sacred duty.
LAUDS AMERICAN JEWRY
“The record of American Jewry during the past twenty years is a golden one. They have poured out millions of dollars for the relief of their brethren in Eastern and Central Europe and for the reconstruction of their communal life and cultural and religious institutions. Even in the ‘hard times’ of the past few years, the Jews of America have continued their beautiful benevolence on behalf of those who have less than themselves–who have less opportunity than they to resist the effects of economic depression.
“It must be so in the case of the Jews of Germany. Here were a group of Jews who by their deeds, by their devotion to their Fatherland had demonstrated beyond all doubting by reasonable men, their utmost loyalty and patriotism. They had given their best to their country. They had spilled their blood in defense of the land. They had consecrated their talents in art, in science, in literature, their ability in the fields of commerce and industry to enhance the prestige and prosperity of the land to which they were devoted.
NOT ONLY GERMAN TRAGEDY
“Further, they had given of themselves with great zeal to the enhancement of the Jewish cause, The glory they had won for Germany they won also for Jewry. The Jewish names written large in this history of Germany are written equally large in our own history. And in addition, they vied with American and British Jewry in bringing aid and comfort to the ‘bereft’ in Israel. Proud, upstanding, creative and productive, German Jewry gave cause for pride to All-Israel. Their tragedy is not their tragedy alone. It is a general Jewish tragedy. And because the German Jewish tragedy is a tragedy for all the Jews, I have felt it my duty, as a Jew, as a human being, to appeal to my fellow-Jews in this country to come to their aid with their characteristic generosity.
“I have accepted the chairmanship of the United Jewish Appeal because the union of the Joint Distribution Committee and the American Palestine Campaign solves many problems that have vexed the minds of American Jewry in these hours of tragedy It makes it possible for all of us to know that the contributions we make in response to this unified appeal will be a demonstration of our solidarity in the face of Jewish suffering.
WILL AID ON EVERY FRONT
“It will enable us who have been charged by American Jewry with the responsibility of extending their aid to their German brethren, to do so on every ‘front.’ It will enable us to cooperate with the leaders of German Jewry to save the 500,000 Jews in that country from utter destitution, and to support their efforts to maintain their cultural and religious life. It will enable us to cooperate with the Jewish Agency for Palestine to settle large numbers of German Jews in that beautiful and flourishing country where such miracles have been achieved during the past twenty years. And, it will enable us to cooperate with that fine humanitarian, that splendid American, James G. McDonald in fulfilling his tasks as Refugee High Commissioner to locate many Jewish refugees from Germany in countries cither of their own choice, or to which they may be willing to go if the doors to them are opened and they see in them opportunity for decent living.”
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.
