100 Jews Attend Dinner Marking Anniversary of Kosher Steamship Cuisine

A group of one hundred, representing a number of American Jewish organizations and a score of Rabbis attended a dinner abroad the “Europa” Thursday evening, marking the 25th anniversary of the introduction of a Kosher cuisine on the steamers maintained by the North German Lloyd Company.

The guests were welcomed by Captain Scharff, Commander of the “Europa” and Director Schroeder of the American office of the North German Lloyd. An address was delivered by Rabbi Felix Aber of Bremen, Germany, now in this country, who is the supervisor of the regulations concerning the victualling according to Kashruth of passengers on the steamships of the company. Dr. Aber pointed to the liberal spirit of the company, recalling that in 1907, it concluded an agreement with the “Hilfsverein der deutschen Juden,” whereby kosher cuisines were introduced on the boats for the benefit of Jews migrating from Europe to America. This spirit of liberalism has been maintained, not withstanding political conditions in Germany, Dr. Aber said.

Rabbi Bernard Drachman, head of the Sabbath League, speaking in the name of the guests, expressed the hope that the present anti-Semitic wave in Germany would not influence the liberal spirit of the North German Lloyd company. John L. Bernstein, former president of the Hias, expressed thanks for the cordial and humanitarian treatment accorded Jewish immigrants on the lines of the company.

Rabbi Harry Kaplan of the Temple Anshe Amonim, Pittsfield, Mass., has been appointed chairman of a Citizens’ Playground Committee, which is supervising and directing the work of the city’s playgrounds during the summer months. This work was undertaken after the Park Commission found it impossible to finance the playground program due to a lack of city funds.