Agudah Adopts Plan for Wide Political Activity

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

The decision of the Agudath Israel, the orthodox world organization, to enter the field of political work for the protection of Jewish rights, adopted at the conference of the executive here, met with opposition within the organization’s ranks.

Reporting to the Executive, Dr. Pinchas Cohn, the president, spoke of the legal position of the Jews in the various countries and explained the grounds on which the Agudah declined to take part in the Zurich Conference for the protection of Jewish Minority Rights.

Deputy Kirschbraun, in supplementing the report, proposed the establishment of a Political Committee consisting of members of the Executive of the Agudah, which should have the task of defending Jewish rights in those countries where the Jews live in compact masses. An animated discussion followed, several of the speakers agreeing with Deputy Kirschbraun, and others objecting that the proposal was outside the scope of the Agudah as an organization for the defence of traditional Judaism. It was finally decided, however, with only one dissenting vote, to establish a Committee for the Defence of Jewish Rights, the members being Dr. Pinchas Cohn, Jacob Rosenheim, Frankfurt, M. Saly Guggenheim, Basic, Dr. Braun. Czecho-Slovakia, Dr. Loewenstein, Zurich, Deputy Kirschbraun. Deputy Rabbi Levin and Isaac Meir Levin, Poland. H. A. Goodman, London, Professor Weil, France, and Rabbi Dubin, Latvia.

It was decided that the Commission, while strictly observing the principle of autonomy of the various countries, should endeavor to bring about a certain amount of unification in political fundamentals on a religious basis and to draw up measures for the protection of Jewish rights so far as it falls within the competence of the Agudah.

Dr. Cohn also reported on the political activity of the Executive. In the matter of the Jewish Communities Ordinance in Palestine, the Agudah had, despite the active resistance of the Zionist Organization, he said, obtained from the Mandatory Government several important concessions. The Executive of the Agudah had conducted negotiations also on other matters of importance with the Mandatory Government of Palestine and with the League of Nations.

In the debate on the report, several ## complained that the political success were not always satisfactory, Several ## demanded that the seat of the Executive should be transferred from Vienna, preferably to London. It was ## to leave this question to a meeting of the Central Council to be held on December 25th, with the Chairman of the Agudah Organizations in various, countries taking part. The same meeting of the Central Council will also decide regarding the convocation of the next Agudath Israel Congress, as well as on the convocation of a Palestine Conference in conjunction with a Conference of the Keren Hathora.

A lively discussion took place on the general principles of the policy of the Agudah. The discussion was opened by Julius Hollander of Frankfurt, who demanded a revision in the present political policy, so that the bridges leading to the traditionally observant Jewish elements standing outside the Agudath should not be broken down. Dr. Pinchas Cohn and Jacob Rosenheim replied to the debate. No decision was made on the question.

The Polish members of the Executive submitted a confidential report on the inner political Jewish conditions in Poland. The Conference also considered at length the question of the Agudist youth organizations and of the Poale Agudath Israel.

A discussion took place on the position in Palestine, in regard to the new Jewish Communities Ordinance. A resolution was adopted calling on all traditionally observant Jews in Palestine to form a unified independent Orthodox community. The Executive of the Agudath Israel will send a delegation to Palestine shortly to assist in carrying out this resolution.