The recent announcement by a Czechoslovak Government spokesman concerning the “assimilation of Jews,” in Czechoslovakia did not mean that there would be any forced assimilation as far as religious or cultural freedom is concerned, Jan Masaryk, Czech Foreign Minister declared here.
In a conversation with Jacob Rosenheim, president of the Agudas Israel World Organization, Mr. Masaryk said that not only will individuals of Jewish faith or origin have complete freedom of conscience, but also Jewish religious communities will enjoy the unrestricted right of establishing educational and social institutions of any kind in accordance with their traditions. The right of Jews to teach their children the biblical and rabbinical scriptures in their original language and to maintain hospitals, orphanages etc. in accordance with the dietary laws will not be affected.
However, political minority rights, which were abused by the German minority in Czechoslovakia, will no longer exist for any minority group, even those who were friendly to the Czechoslovakian Government, Mr. Masaryk said. He stressed that the demand for political assimilation does not indicate any change in the friendly attitude of Czechoslovakia towards Zionist aspirations to create a state in its own territory.
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