A plea to reject the old ballyhoo methods, to remember that publicity is not an end in itself, to develop new techniques, was made by Rabbi Samuel Wohl, at yesterday’s session of the first annual conference of the League for Labor Palestine, held at the Hotel Pennsylvania.
Vigorous discussion followed the Cincinnati rabbi’s presentation of what he believed should be accepted as a program of activity for the league.
That old cliches no longer work was Dr. Wohl’s contention. “We must not enroll members and then not know what to do with them. We must not live by fund-raising campaigns and consider that we have made friends. Mass meetings give inadequate returns for energy expended, campaigns do not always win souls.”
Rabbi Wohl proposed the establishment of small intimate groups of enthusiasts in various communities, under the leadership of competent discussion leaders. He urged the training of selected groups of activists who would undertake systematic visits to homes in their localities. He pleaded for additional concentration on winning influential people but not “stuffed shirts and mere monied men.”
Goldie Myerson, of the Palestine Labor Delegation, said she disagreed with Rabbi Wohl and some of the other speakers who discussed his program. She maintained that what is needed was not “discussion circles and academic circles, but circles from which work should be expected.”
2,000 MEMBERS A GAIN
Miss Myerson discounted the enthusiastic claims of those who predicted a membership of 15,000 or 20,000 within a year, and said that the organization should and would be satisfied if it could bring into the fold between 2,000 and 3,000 recruits.
That Dr. Wohl’s suggestions were “out of our reach” was asserted by Dr. Herman Seidel of Baltimore, who held that the organization required large funds. Professor Hayim Fineman expressed his opposition to “study circles” which, in his view, would limit the numbers of participants. He said that students, intellectuals and Jewish masses in general should be reached by the movement. Prof. Fineman stressed the need of “a fighting publication.”
“What is to be studied on the subject can be studied in half an hour. What will the circles do the next year?” exclaimed professor Zwi Diesendruck. His three-fold plan called for work of information, concentration on well-defined activities, and ideological contributions.
ASKS FOR LITERATURE
Mary Syrkin expressed herself as favoring a program that “should build a body of literature.” She stressed the need of a publications committee which would eventually result in a “confederation” of all publications connected with the League of Labor Palestine.
Calling on the conference to evolve a program “as courageous as that of Communists” in order to combat the latter’s “most effective propaganda,” Sara Feder also assailed the “lack of honesty” in an article written by William Zuckerman for The Nation, in which the author wrote that Fascism has also entered Palestine.
Among others who participated in a lively discussion of various points of the future program were Harry A. Harris, J. S. Rosenberg, Judah Wattenberg, Rose Stoloff, Dr. Michael Roochvarg, Dr. Anna Mintz and S. Dongol.
In his summary of the arguments, Rabbi Wohl disclaimed most of the sentiments attributed to him by other speakers. He particularly denied that he urged solely “the study groups” for mere intellectual pursuits. He said that his idea was to emphasize the advisability “of talking privately” and thus bringing about the desired action. “It is my firm belief that we can stir the country with the message of the Histadruth,” he declared.
Joseph Sprinzak, vice-president of the World Actions Committee, addressed the concluding session late in the afternoon. A number of resolutions were adopted and a new executive committee was chosen. Isaac Hamlin presided.
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.
