Wilno Joins Other Polish Cities in Ban on Shechitah

Poland’s rabbis proclaimed a second world-wide fast day for next Thursday in protest against a Parliament bill to prohibit kosher slaughtering, the City Council of Wilno in a sudden action today issued a ban on the Jewish ritual method of slaughter.

Following issuance of the ban, a conference of Catholic priests in Wilno telegraphed Deputy Janina Prystor, wife of the Senate President and author of the Parliament bill, urging her to proceed with the bill and not to be “terrorized by Jewish capital.”

In Warsaw, Deputy Dwdzscinski was named rapporteur of a special Parliament commission on the bill. The commission will examine Deputy Emil Rubenstein as expert for the Jews, a Christian expert and Deputy Prystor. The bill is said to have support of a bloc of deputies sufficient to ensure its passage.

Issuance of the ban in Wilno, the fourth city to take such action, stirred the large Jewish population. The step had been carefully planned by the anti-Semitic National Democrat, who secretly obtained support for the measure before announcing it on the floor.

After the measure had been railroaded through the council, the Jewish councillors, joined by the Russian councillor, Advocate Krestianow, walked out of the hall in protest. Supporters of the measure followed, jeering them as they left.

With Jewish leaders fearing that passage of the bill will make it impossible for the 3,500,000 Jews of Poland to eat meat, the Rabbinical Assembly met today and issued a call to Jews of the world to observe a second fast-day next Thursday in protest against the bill. In Poland, Jews will repair to synagogues on the day to pray against the measure.

The bill would provide for stunning of animals before slaughter, which violates the Jewish ritual code of shechitah. Fines and prison sentences would be imposes for violation. The measure would go into effect Jan. 1, 1937.