Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, will be ushered in tonight in thousands of synagogues and temples throughout the United States with prayers that this year will see the end of the widespread Jewish homelessness in Europe.
A call to the American people to join the Jews in such a prayer was issued last night by Henry Morgenthau, general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, in a nation-wide broadcast. He emphasized that countless thousands of Jewish men, women and children are still “within the gates of concentration camps where they have been forced to live since their liberation from Nazi executioners.”
Mr. Morgenthau urged all Jews to pray that the recommendations of the U.N. Commission on Palestine be acted upon favorably by the General Assembly. He characterized the UNSCOP recommendations as “a gleam of hope for the persecuted and homeless Jews of Europe,” adding that the UNSCOP recommondation to admit 150,000 European Jewish refugees into Palestine within the next two years “comes like the ancient Biblical manna to the homeless and destitute Jews of Europe.”
“It will be a tragic and heartless event if the report on Palestine is not acted upon favorably by the United Nations,” Mr. Morgenthau said. “I cannot begin to calculate the effect it may have upon the thousands for whom it has become a last hope, if the recommendations are blocked or tabled indefinitely. Above all, it is we in America who must urge that our own country support the proposals in the United Nations. Through such support, our country stands to receive the plaudits of democratic men and women everywhere. The symbol of liberty will be upheld throughout the world by American support of the United Nations’ Palestine recommendations.”
PRIORITIES SECURED TO ENABLE LANDING OF JEWISH IMMIGRANTS BEFORE SUNDOWN
In order to avoid disembarkation formalities this evening, the HIAS today obtained priorities from immigration and customs officials to land some fifty Jewish immigrants who arrived today shortly before noon aboard the S.S. Nea Hellas from Italy. Many of the newcomers were removed to the Hias Shelter, where they were served a special dinner prior to tomorrow’s day of fasting.
Rabbis throughout the country today announced that they will make special Yom Kippur appeals for the Joint Distribution Committee’s SOS (Supplies for Overseas Survivors) collection to raise 6,000,000 pounds of relief supplies for Europe’s needy Jews. The official opening of the SOS drive will take place on Thursday. More than 200 collection depots have already been set up in temples, synagogues, “Y’s” and community centers in New York alone.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
