The Nationalist deputies in the Prussian Diet have introduced a measure for changing the Jewish Communities Law, providing that resignation from the Jewish Community does not involve excommunication from the Jewish faith.
Under the existing law, resignation from the Kehillah automatically entails excommunication.
The Nationalist measure has invited very strong disapproval from Jewish circles. The law, as it now stands, successfully checked resignations from the Kehiloth, since it involved serious consequences. Few Jews therefore desired to risk excommunication for such comparatively minor reasons as non-payment of Kehiloth taxes or disagreement with Kehiloth leaders.
The draft of the proposed new law, Jewish leaders hold, would considerably weaken the organization and prestige of the Kehiloth and their legal status as representing Jewish unity.
It is not believed that malicious intent is behind the Nationalist propo sals, but rather that they were prompted by certain Jewish groups.
The Kehiloth are, however, anxious to avoid discussion on the subject in Germany because they fear the Nazis will vote for the measure out of spite, if they are aware it is opposed by leading Jewish circles.
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.
