Evian Urged to Aid Settlement of 50,000 Yearly in Palestine

More than 800 leaders and rabbis of 600 synagogues in New York, meeting tonight at the Hotel Astor at an emergency conference under the auspices of the United Palestine Appeal, unanimously adopted a resolution calling upon the Evian conference to give “primary consideration to Palestine as a foremost haven” for refugees and open Palestine to mass Jewish immigration at the rate of 50,000 Jews a year “in accordance with the absorptive capacity of the country” and on the basis of Palestine’s record during the past five years.

The conference addressed a plea to Myron C. Taylor, American representative at Evian, requesting that he propose the establishment of a permanent branch of the Inter-governmental Committee to facilitate the immigration and settlement in Palestine of Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria.

The conference voted to launch an emergency fund campaign to raise $500,000 as the “contribution of the synagogues of the city of New York” toward the $4,500,000 nationwide goal of the United Palestine Appeal, and directed all synagogues in the city to set aside the forthcoming High Holy Days for appeals from their pulpits in behalf of the U.P.A.

Another resolution adopted at the conference expressed the hope that the “noble spirit of self-restraint and self-discipline” of the Jewish community in Palestine would persevere in the face of mounting Arab disorders and violence, asserting that “no violence and no terror can sever the historic and religious bond of the Jewish people with its ancient homeland in Palestine.”

The resolution urging the opening of Palestine’s doors to Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria was introduced by Rabbi Joseph Kanovitz, President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of America. Among the other speakers were Dr. Jacob Hoffman, former Chief Rabbi of Frankfort, Germany; Leon Gellman, president of Mizrachi; Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein, who spoke in behalf of the Federation of Orthodox Rabbis; and Rabbi J.M. Charlap.