Goldmann Tells South Africans Zionists Must Shift Objectives

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, told the 30th biennial convention of the South African Zionist Federation that the next World Zionist Congress must give up its attempt to represent world Jewry in relation to Israel and concentrate instead on becoming an organization with maximal aims of Zionist commitment and aliyah.

The convention was held in Johannesburg City Hall simultaneously with the annual conference of the South African Women’s Zionist Organization. Dr. Goldmann also told the keynote session that South Africa was “one of the few countries in the world where Zionists are actually leading in the work for Israel.” He said that in the United States and other countries, non-Zionist organizations did more to help Israel than the Zionist organizations. He also declared that the Zionist movement had failed in its goal of becoming the representative body for world Jewry to Israel.

“Israel does not accept us as the representative of the Jewish people, nor does the majority of the Jewish people,” he declared.

Dr. Teddy Schneider, president of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said that South African Jewry, which had exerted itself as never before to rally to Israel’s cause in the May-June crisis and Six-Day War, was grateful for the goodwill and sympathy of South African non-Jews and for “the understanding shown by the Government for our desire to help Israel in its crisis.”

Edel Horwitz, chairman of the South African Zionist Federation, said that South African Zionism had, in the recent emergency, achieved its finest hour. He expressed the Federation’s appreciation of the South African Government’s “magnificent gesture of sympathy and understanding in giving us permission to transfer funds raised in our Emergency Campaign to Israel,” National currency restrictions are in effect in South Africa.

Dr. Goldmann inaugurated the new campaign for the United Communal Fund, South African Jewry’s community chest for local Jewish institutions. He spoke at a rally in Cape Town and at a dinner here. He suggested at both meetings that the time had come when South African Jewry must contribute much more to maintaining and extending its local institutions.