Jewish Immigrants to France Praised by Dr. Levi; French Chief Rabbi

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The question of Jewish immigration to France is dealt with by M. Israel Levi, Grand Rabbi of France, in a statement which he submitted to the National Committee of Political and Social Studies.

“The number of Jews who have come to settle in France during the last forty years is less than 100,000.

“The Jews who have come into France since 1881 are mostly artisans, especially tailors and furriers. Many of the Jews are also morocco-leather tanners, cabinet-makers, and shoe-makers. There are also a considerable number of merchants and office assistants. Until recently all Jewish immigrants settled in Paris, but of late they have been settling in the provinces, notably in Lille, Lens Valenciennes, around Nancy, Luneville, Strasbourg and in suburbs of Metz. The Jewish immigrants in Marseille come from the Levant and are for the most part traders.

“The French Jew, who loves his country and wishes to serve it.” the Grand Rabbi proceeds “tries to assimilate these incoming elements. The best instrument of assimilation is the school. In Paris, most of the immigrant children attend the Jewish schools where their religious requirements are satisfied. These schools, which are maintained by the Jewish community, achieve really astonishing results. Children who arrived only three months ago are already able to speak French.

“In the case of the children and young people generally, the work of assimilation makes good progress. But the adults work all day and are too tired at night to learn. Nevertheless, the number of evening classes attended by aliens is growing.

“A society has been formed, the Accucil Fraternel,’ in connection with the Foyer Francais’ institute in order to develop assimilation mainly three French classes. In the north, the Grand Rabbi of Lille directs the schools time and at Lens and Valenciennes. We are now engaged in examining the possibility of putting Jewish immigrants to agricultural work, particularly in the South of France.

“From the commercial and industrial point of view, the alien immigrants are developing many activities hitherto monopolized by other countries, such as the trade in peach diamonds and other precious stones the fur trade, in which Paris has ousted Leipzig, the morocco-leather manufacture, which was previously the monopoly of Austria and Germany and of which Paris is now the principle centre.

“In art, there was Rachel, the foreign Jewess, who became France’s great tragedienne. In science, there was Munk, who made Arabic philosophy known to the whole world and was the master of Renan, the Oppers Derenbourg, Joseph Helevy and Henry Well. We can give the names of many Jewish immigrants and the sons of Jewish immigrants who have brought honor to the land of their adoption.

“Of a total of 2,500,000 aliens in France in 1921, 800,000 were Italians. 460,000 Spaniards, 450,000 Belgians, and 300,000 Poles, and only among the Poles were there any number of Jews the statement declares.

Prizes for pupils of the Jewish religious schools in New York City were awarded yesterday afternoon at three meetings held in the auditorium of Stuyvesant High School; in Cooper Union: and in the auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson High School, Brooklyn. The prizes were awarded by the Jewish Education Association for good attendance and excellence in studies.

Pudge Otto A. Rosalsky, vice-president of the Jewish Education Association. Bernard Semel, Honorary Secretary and Dr. Benjamin Veit, Director of Junior High Schools of the Board of Education, who is also chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Association, spoke at the Stuyvesant High School. The prizes were distributed by Israel Unterberg, president.

At Cooper Union, addresses were delivered by Jonah J. Goldstein, chairman of the Finance Committee of the Association; Mr. Semel and Dr. Robert B. Brodef, the principal of the Seward Park High School. The prizes were distributed by Jacob Wener, a member of the Board of the Jewish Education Association. In the Thomas Jefferson, High School the speakers were Benjamin C. Ribman and Rabbi S. L. Horwitz with the distribution of prizes by Samuel Rottenberg, the other vice-president of the Association.