Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

The “Juedische Rundshau”, organ of the Zionists of Germany, carries an article, in its issue of Nov. 14, in which the writer, Uriel Friedland, a prominent member of the “Hithachduth,” replies to the contentions of Abraham Goldberg, the American Zionist who is at present organizing an opposition in Germany to the Zionist leadership, on the ground that the Zionists are ignoring and hindering private initiative in Palestine.

“Goldberg desires ‘not to substitute but to complement’ the present work in Palestine. Obviously it is impossible to substitute industry for agriculture, new immigrants for the Chalutzim, private colonies for the Kevuzoth. As regards the much desired ‘complementing’ of the work it is probable that something can be contributed in this direction. When, however, instead of approaching businessmen in order to interest them in Palestine reconstructive enterprises, mass-meetings are called and articles are written in which it is said that the time has arrived when the singing of the Hymn to Mother Earth should cease and that it is possible and desirable to transplant Byalistok and Berditchev to Palestine, the cause of ‘complementing’ the work in Palestine is certainly not enhanced. The only result of this kind of propaganda can be the destruction of the Zionist organization, the destruction of the spirit which has inspired our work and caused our men to make sacrifices cheerfully in the cause of reclaiming the land of Palestine, without which none of the successes and achievements of Zionism could have been possible.

“The Zionist laborers and tillers of the soil will take up the fight against this destructive work. If Goldberg thinks it necessary to remind us that we depend on the sympathies of the Zionist public, we say that it is our hope that in defending the basic principles of national colonization in Palestine the large majority of non-partisan Zionists will come to the aid of the Jewish workers.”

PRO AND CON

The conference to organize a permanent body in this country for helping the Jews in Russia settle on the land which has been called for Dec. 21 by a number of Jewish writers and labor leaders, has aroused considerable discussion in the Jewish press. The “Forward”, in an editorial of Dec. 5, expresses its opposition to the conference and the men who are convening it, believing that the movement is inspired and managed by the Jewish communists.

“We learn that the committee which sent out invitations to the conference is acting on orders from Moscow.

“That the Jewish communists do not care a rap about the Jews in Russia can best be seen by their campaign of slander against the Ort, the only impartial organization which offers constructive help to Jewish colonists in Russia and elsewhere.

“The communists insist that all moneys which are collected here for the Russian Jews should fall into their communistic hands and that they reserve the right to do as they please with the funds entrusted to them, to do with them what they did with the funds collected here by the Friends of Soviet Russi and with the $15,000 which the Workmen’s Grcle gave them for a hospital in Homel. That is why they are exerting themselves so to discredit and destroy the Ort Reconstruction Fund.

“It the communists were really anxious to help the millions of unfortunate Jews in Russia they would permit an impartial committee composed of Jewish socialists and democratic communal workers to conduct the relief work in Russia. The world could have confidence in such a committee and could feel certain that the money contributed would really be used for the alleviation of the sad condition of the Russian Jews.

“The communists seek to make capital out of the Jewish tragedy. The conference they are calling is only a means for getting money from the American Jews for communistic purposes.

In reply to the “Forward” and others who have attacked the movement for helping the colonization of Russian Jews, Mr. S. Niger, who is one of the initiators of the movement, has written an article in the Day of Dec. 6, in which he says:

“Whoever is willing to help the colonization of Jews in Russia should have been content to wait for the opportunity the conference of Dec. 21 will offer for mutual discussion on this important subject. Instead of that a long dispute has been started in advance.

“This is not a question of communists. It is a question of helping the Jews in Russia. Who has the right to decide with an easy conscience that the money which will be collected will not be employed properly?

“It is true that conditions in Russia are different than elsewhere and in doing our work we will have to adjust ourselves to them. But if Jewish relief organizations consented to adjust their work to the conditions of a pogrom government like that in Poland, we can do likewise in Russia!

“The only sensible argument adduced against the new organization is that the Ort is doing the same work for the Russian Jews. But we must point out that the Ort does not limit itself to Russia and it uses its funds for other purposes besides colonization. The Ort alone cannot perform the big task. Our organization would certainly not act as a competitor to the Ort, but would merely strive to do its share in carrying out the great work of colonizing the Russian Jews.

“At any rate, why should not the representatives of the Ort attend the conference on Dec. 21 and explain their position?”

CRITICIZES SEPARATISTS

Dr. N. Gotlieb, writing in the “Neuer Haint” (issue Nov. 17) of Warsaw, accuses certain influential Jewish individuals in England and France of endeavoring to help the Jewish cause in Eastern Europe by working personally without a mandate from or the cooperation of representative Jewish organizations.

“If the Grand Rabbi of Paris, Mr. Israel Levi and the ‘general-secretary’, Mr. Lucien Wolf of London, are inspired by good motives they are nullified by the separatism of these gentlemen. Our old fashioned ‘representatives’ of Paris and London, seem to find it impossible to work with the Paris Committee of Jewish Delegations, which represents the Jewish nationalistic democratic program. The separatistic attitude attitude of Lucien Wolf in speaking without authority for the Jews before the League Council at Geneva has never brought results and never will,” says Dr. Gotlieb.