Needs of Jewish Artisans in Poland Studied by J.d.c.; Establish Trade Schools

The Joint Distribution Committee, which has equipped and established in Poland 45 trade schools and numerous workshops in cooperation with the Ica and the Ort, is at present making a study of the conditions and needs of the Jewish artisan youth of Poland as they are affected by the new trade law.

According to a report from Dr. Bernhard Kahn, European Director of the Joint Distribution Committee, to David A. Brown, National Chairman of the United Jewish Campaign, the new Polish law which went into effect recently, complicates the situation of the Jewish artisan. It raises the question whether a large number of Jewish artisans will be entitled to work as independent masters, and likewise the question of apprenticeship with Jews. The law requires the passing of an examination for a “master’s degree” on the part of any artisan wishing to establish his own workshop. To be eligible for this examination, one must have been an apprentice for three years; and apprenticeship is permitted only to those who have completed a three years’ course in a trade school.

Although the government has established these trade continuation classes to enable the Polish youth to comply with these requests, the limited capacity of these schools and the language difficulty of instruction in Polish, are keeping out a large number of Jewish students.

The Polish Ort has asked the Joint Distribution Committee for a special subvention of $30,000 for trade continuation classes for at least 3,000 young men. It is estimated that there are about 50,000 of the Jewish youth in Poland in need of trade school training, and in the larger cities like Warsaw, Lodz, Vilna and Bialostock, there is need for trade schools where 15,000 young men and women can learn metal trades, carpentry, tailoring, leather goods work.

The establishment of schools for so large a number of students would require tremendous sums of money, far beyond the capacity of the local Jewish population and of the Jewish relief organizations. It is hoped that the Government will itself organize and give support to special trade continuation classes for the Jewish youth, as it is doing for the remainder of the population, Dr. Kahn states in his report.

Two Jewish women of San Francisco were among the California women of outstanding achievement who were honored recently in the observance of Women’s Day in that city. The special exercises were held at the dedication of the Western Women’s Building.

The Jewish womn specially honored on this occasion were Representative Florence Prag Kahn and Dr. Jessica B. Peixotto of the Department of Economics of the University of California.