Bublick Administration Gets Vote of Confidence After Prolonged Debate

A unanimous vote of confidence was given to the Bublick administration at the close of the third session of the Mizrachi convention in session here, following a long general debate during which the administration was criticized by some delegates, while others dwelt largely on the proposal of Rabbi Saul Silber of Chicago that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis and other organizations and individuals supporting Jerusalem institutions of the old type warn them that support will be discontinued if they continue to lend financial aid to the ultra-Orthodox group to carry out their separatist policy.

Rabbi Silber’s point that with the American charity funds given to the old institutions in Jerusalem the Agudath Israel is enabled to carry on its political work against the Zionist Organization and the unified community principle, was picked up by many delegates and made the major feature of the discussion. Strong expression was given to the demand that the Jerusalem institutions be warned of the possibility of discontinuance of the support. Opinions along these lines were voiced by Rabbi H. Brody, Denver; Rabbi Mandelbaum, Louisville, Ky., Charles Geffen, Cleveland, Rabbi Eckstein Cleveland. A. L. Gelman, St. Louis, Rabbi M. Rosenblatt, Pittsburgh, Rabbi Abraham Shapiro, Utica, N. Y., Rabbi Isaac Stolman, Detroit, A. Cohen, Louisville, Ky., and others.

Opposition to this movement, arguing for greater tolerance, was led by Rabbi Z. Leiter. Pittsburgh, and Rabbi J. Greenwald, Columbus. O. The preponderance of opinion was in favor of such action and it is likely that a resolution to this effect will be brought in and adopted.

Harris L. Selig, who recently returned from Palestine, gave an inspiring message of conditions there.

The chief critic of the administration was Rev. Norak of Washington, D. C. The administration was defended by Rabbi A. Zembrowsky, Syracuse, A. M. Stawisky, New York, and others. When the vote of confidence was adopted the delegates arose, singing the Hatikvah.

An interesting point in the discussion was a charge made against the administration by Mr. Gelman, who pointed out that although Nahum Sokolow chairman of the Zionist Executive, is at present in the United States, he did not come to the Mizrachi convention nor send a message of greeting. This fact points to a lack of good relations between the Mizrachi and the Zionist Organization. The speaker also criticized President Bublick and Vice-president Rabbi Wolf Gold, for references in their message to the Palestine school question. All that the Mizrachi president gets, like the President of the Zionist Organization, is a “torbe” to collect the funds necessary for the work.

In his message, Mr. Bublick reviewed the work and referred to the forthcoming consummation of the Jewish Agency. The Mizrachi heartily welcomes the final realization of Dr. Weizmann’s efforts and is confident that those entering the Agency will shoulder the responsibility sincerely and unreservedly, he declared. Mr. Bublick stated he is likewise confident that the voice of Orthodox Jewry will be heard on the Agency.

The slogan for the forthcoming elections to the Zionist Congress will be: “A vote for Mizrachi means greater strength to the Jewish religious school system in Palestine.” The recent Mizrachi gains in the field of education, he explained, are likely to result in a renewed effort on the part of secular Zionists to attack the Mizrachi school system on three different lines: first, by efforts to curtail by Congress decision the Mizrachi school autonomy; second, by the suspension of payments of allotments on the contention that the 1920 agreement was not scrupulously observedand third, by imitation, that is by the adoption of some of the features of the Mizrachi religious program in the general Zionist schools. However, why have the imitation when the real thing is and should be available? he asked.