Swiss Jewry, numbering now about 20,000 souls, will observe the hundredth anniversary of Jewish freedom in this country at a two-day Assembly of Delegates to open here Wednesday. The gathering was arranged by the Gemeindebund, the Swiss Federation of 24 local Jewish communities, each of which has autonomy.
Prior to the anniversary session, the Federation issued a report on its activities, showing that the organization administers an annual budget amounting to approximately 300,000 Swiss francs. Dr. Georges Brunschvig of Berne, is president of the Gemeindebund. The report also noted that the federation is continuing its activities in defense of Judaism through its special “emancipation fund,” established by the organization’s delegate assembly last year, as well as through religious works, scholarships and the provision of emergency aid.
Anti-Semitism in this country was one of the federation’s principal preoccupations last year, the report showed. Among the anti-Semitic manifestations was the appearance of a pamphlet containing many calumnies against the Jewish people, similar to the notorious “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” blaming the Jews of responsibility for both world wars, the Russian revolution and the “moral decay of society.” There were also instances of anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi statements made in some publications and by individuals. The Gemeindebund not only protested those manifestations in this country but also protested against the signs of resurgent neo-Nazism in Germany.
SHECHITA STILL FORBIDDEN IN SWITZERLAND; IMPORT OF KOSHER MEAT PERMITTED
Swiss Jews also continued to show concern over an old law, enacted in 1894, forbidding schechita anywhere in Switzerland. The Gemeindebund started fighting against that law in 1904, and that action continues today. Only a constitutional amendment could wipe out that form of discrimination. However, there is no difficulty in the import of kosher meat from neighboring countries into Switzerland.
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