Jewish Leaders Address Palestine Conference in Washington

More than 1,200 delegates from 42 national Jewish organizations and scores of communities converged on Washington for the National Conference on Palestine over the weekend.

Sir Herbert Samuel, viscount Bearsted and Simon Marks, comprising a delegation of British Jews consulting with American Jewish leaders on transferring Jews from Germany, were on the speakers’ list as well as Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Dr. Israel Goldstein and other American Jewish notables.

In connection with the conference, a report was given showing that by January 1 there were 375,000 Jews in Palestine, comprising 29.8 percent of the population. It was pointed out that this represents the largest Jewish population proportionally of any country in the world.

Between 1928 and 1935, the report showed, 300,000 Jews emigrated from European countries to overseas lands. Of these 162,000 more than half, went to Palestine. During 1935, 61,541 Jews entered Palestine while the total who emigrated to all other lands was 12,000.

The report, prepared by H. Frunkin, Palestine statistician, continued:

“A total of 190,000 Jewish newcomers entered the country during 1932-36, bringing a total Jewish population to 375,000 by Jan. 1, 1936…of these 135,000, or 36 per cent, were in Tel Aviv and district; 70,000 or 18.7 per cent in Jerusalem and district and 50,000 or 13 per cent in Haifa and district; while 91,000 or 24.3 per cent were in Jewish rural areas.

“The vocational distribution of Jews in Palestine was as follows:

“In agriculture, 50,500 or 13.5 per cent; in building trades, 49,600 or 13.2 per cent; industry, 89,500 or 23.9 per cent; in transport, 25,000 or 6.6 per cent; liberal professions, 31,800 or 8.5 per cent; and in trade, domestic service, etc., 123,400 or 32.9 per cent.”