(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Deep disappointment is felt in leading Hungarian Jewish circles as a result of the parliament vote passing the Government bill which outwardly modifies the numerus clausus law without substantially changing the discriminatory measure against the right of Jews to secure an education.
The board of the Budapest Kehillah, which went on record many times as being opposed to an open fight against the numerus clausus and urged Jews abroad to abstain from intervening in this matter, is now being criticized. It is charged that the present situation was brought about due to the passive attitude of the Kehillah leaders. Resentment is also being expressed against the Hungarian Liberal Party which supported the Government measure. The Liberals were the pillar upon which the leaders of Hungarian Jewry pinned their hope for abolishing the discrimination.
Although Jewish leaders in Budapest abstained from publicly commenting on the situation. Deputy Szilagyi, in an address in parliament, declared that Hungarian Jews are greatly depressed over the result and “will never forget the shame.”
The general opinion, however, is that no intervention, be it by Jewish bodies abroad or even by the League of Nations, will help the situation. Such intervention, it is considered, would be harmful now.
The disappointment is felt particularly in the ranks of the Jewish youth. A movement is now being observed among the sons of the assimilated families to renounce the doctrine of Magyarization, many of them joining the Zionist movement.
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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.
