Hit Jewish Congress at Council Meeting, Demand Democracy

Vigorously attacking the American Jewish Congress, Bernard G. Richards, chairman of the Jewish Council of Greater New York, declared that the way the Congress is being run “is far from satisfying to its friends,”at the mid-year conference of the Council yesterday afternoon at the Hotel Pennsylvania.

Demanding a return to “first principles”, he declared that, “generally speaking, we ought to proceed along far more democratic lines.” He said the Jewish Council should act as contact between the Congress and the Jewish masses.

These statements came at the end of a talk on the work and necessity for the Jewish Council, and an outline of its duties. Carl Sherman, president of the Zionist Region of New York and member of the executive committee of the American Jewish Congress, also assailed the Congress.

DEPLORES NEGLECT OF MASS

“The American Congress”, said Mr. Sherman, a former Attorney General of New York State, “has in the past, does still, and will in the future serve Jewry as no other organization could. But I do wish to criticize. There is a tendency in the Congress to disregard the Jewish masses, and to have a few leaders speak what they wish for all.” Recalling the mass meeting at Madison Square Garden last spring, he said that the Congress roused from its apathy to marshall Jewish protest as no other body could have. “But”, he demanded, “why wasn’t there leadership from then on?”

“What I have said has been uttered not as an enemy of the American Jewish Congress nor as an opponent of the World Jewish Congress. I believe in both and hope for their success, but I sincerely feel that such success cannot be achieved by ballyhoo, indecision, vagueness and uncertainty. The times call for frankness and courage. A little of both is what the American Jewish Congress needs.”

The Congress was defended by Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, chairman of the Executive committee of the American Jewish Congress, who outlined the evil influences of Nazi propaganda in America. He called the Congress the pivotal organization for the task of Jewish self-defence.

“We must organize every community in this country and coordinate the now-scattered Jewish forces into one living, thinking and acting organism,” Dr. Tenenbaum said. “We must organize world Jewry on the same principles of organic coordination and brotherly cooperation. We are one nation. We need one representation.”

Other speakers were Max Silverstein, president of the Independent Order of Birth Abraham and Judge Hyman Reit, vice-president of the Jewish Council.