The recnetly organized Confederation of Brazilian Jews and the Committee to aid in setting German Jews in Palestine, are headed by a new-comer in Jewish circles, Captain Levy Cardoso of the Braxilian Military in Active Service.
In describing how he became interested in Jewish affairs, Captain Cardoso declared that althogh he was a military man he believed in the efficacy of culture and employ it as a weapon aginst their enmeies.
HITLERISM REVOLTING
“I have always felt that I was a Jew,” Captain Cardoso said. “I have never denied by belonging to the Jewish nation. However, I never felt it necessary to give my Jewishness expression except in the synagogue, where I went occassionally. But the case of Hitler and the manner in which the attempt is made to transplant Hitlerism to our continent revolts me.”
It-was this feeling of revolt that actuated Captain Cardoso when he undertook, with a # of other Jews, to organized Confederation of Brazillain #as a body which would #prop represent the Jewish settlement in Brazil and defend Jewish interests.
BRAZIL NEEDS JEWISH BODY
Among those who collaborated with Captain Cardoso in this undertaking was, chiefly, Dr. Herber Moses, president of the Journists’ League of Brazil. Dr. Moses is prominent in the best Brazilian circles, but like Captain Cardoso he felt that the Jews of Brazil needed an official body to represent them to the influential circles of this country.
As an example of an occasion when such a body would have been desirable, Captain Cardoso cited the time when Dr. Jetulio Vargas, president of Brazil, was injured in an automobile accident. At that time representatives of most of the foreign colonies called upon the president to wish him a speedy recovery, but there was no Jewish body to function in such a manner.
CONFEDERATION PLANS
Such deficiencies, Captain Cardoso said, create a very poor impression of the Jewish group in Brazil, and the Confederation was formed to prevent that very thing and to emphasize the unity of the Jewish settlers.
On New Year’s Day of this year the Jewish colony, for the first time in its history. sent a telegraphic message to the president, promissing, though the Confederation, that the Jews in the land would constantly support all measures leading to the progress of Brazil. This procedure is in acby all the foreign colonies. cordance with a custom followed.
To help keep its promise, the fund, Captain Cardoso said. he also spoke very optimistically of the fund now being raised for setting German refugee Jews in Palestine.
UPHOLDS ZIONISM
Captain Cardoso believes that the Jewish people should exert every means to make Palestine their homeland, althoght he admits that neither he nor many another who is comfortable in the country he happens to be living in will go to Palestine. Nevertheless it should be at hand, he siad, for those Jews who have lost economic status in other countries.
Captain Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro. He is of Sephardic lineage and is married to a Sephardic Jewess. Their home is conducted according to the religious traditions of the Sephardim.
HOLDS MEDICAL DEGREE
The Catain has a medical degree, studied at the military academy, is a military engineer and, at present, professor of military engineering at the Polytechnical institute at Rio. He knows the work of a number of Jewish writers, of whom Max Norau is his favorite. Jewish problems of Brazil and of the the rest of the world claim a great part of his attention and interest.
Throught the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Captain Cardoso sent the good wishes of Brazilian Jewry to the Jews of all the world, and especially to the Jews of Germany to whom the Jewish people of Brazil have promised every possible aid in helping them settle in Palestine.
The Captain also expressed the hope that the government of Brazil would shortly give candid expression to its appreciation of the Jews as a valuable eement by inviting a number of Jewish families to make their homes in Brazil, where they can find useful and productive employment.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
