America is the centre of world Jewry and of the finest Jewish culture and scholarship. Jews from all over the world are looking to us not only for material, but also for spiritual salvation, the Hon. Alfred M. Cohen, International President of the Order B’nai B’rith, said at a reception given in his honour last night by the New York B’nai B’rith.
Speaking of the importance of the philanthropic, cultural and social work done by the B’nai B’rith, its defence of the Jewish name here and abroad and the cultural activities of the Hillel Foundations, Mr. Cohen illustrated his remarks by describing what the B’nai B’rith is doing in Shanghai and in Mexico. He particularly dwelt upon its work for the Jews in Mexico, where the organisation has spent a quarter of a million dollars to help the Jews in Mexico to settle down in the community and become useful citizens.
Dr. I. M. Rubinow, Executive Secretary of the International B’nai B’rith, in reviewing the work of the organisation, emphasised the multiplicity of problems now facing Jewish life all over the world, particularly in America. Discrimination, he said, is now threatening the Jew in the economic and professional fields, and the unity of the Jewish minority and a dignified united effort on behalf of our people in this country is now of extreme importance.
Mr. Henry Morgenthau, former United States Ambassador to Turkey, took issue with Dr. Rubinow. He did not think it was right, he said, to sound a pessimistic note now. On the contrary, Jews were wonderfully successful, economically, politically and socially. Let the Jews be good Americans and good Jews, retaining their religion, he urged, and all opportunities are open to them. One could not deny that there are prejudices against the Jew, Mr. Morgenthau said, but the Jew is not an exception, for Americans of other persuasions also suffer from prejudices.
Judge Albert Cohn, presided, and other speakers were Mr. Albert Ottinger, former Attorney General of New York, Mr. Ludwig Vogelstein, President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and Mr. Isidore Covitt, representative of the B’nai B’rith Lodge in Shanghai.
Telegrams were received from Mr. Adolph Ochs, the publisher of the “New York Times”, Mr. Adolph Lewisohn, Judge Proskauer, Mr. Paul Baerwald, Chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, and other American Jewish leaders.
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