Poor Jews passing through this port are not allowed to disembark as a result of preventive measures taken by the authorities at the insistence of some of the rich Jews of this community. Many Jews are complaining that this action does not conform with the proverbial Jewish spirit of hospitality and is certainly a departure from the principles of Jewish charity.
Singapore, since the depression started, has been bothered by hundreds of poor persons who have come here from all parts of the Orient in an effort to make a living. As a result the authorities have ruled that before entering it is necessary for a newcomer to post a bond in order to insure his maintenance. Britishers, however, are exempt from this provision, and hundreds of poor British Jews have passed through Singapore in the last three years.
Some of these Jews stay for a few months, and then have no money to go elsewhere. According to the tradition of the Orient, it is necessary for each religious, racial, or national sect to support its destitute. The well-to-do Jews here apparently have grown tired supporting their less fortunate brethren, especially since the depression has cut their incomes more and more deeply.
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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.
