Over two thousand people filled Mecca Temple at the opening of the first national convention of the People’s Tool Campaign Friday night. About 800 delegates from all over the country participated at the opening of the convention which was presided over by B. C. Vladeck, national chairman of the People’s Tool Campaign, which aims to furnish tools and raw materials to declassed Jews of Russia through the Ort.
A number of prominent speakers described the horrible situation of the declassed Jews in Eastern Europe and especially in Russia. James Marshall, son of the late Louis Marshall, described his personal experiences during his visit to Russia last summer.
A vivid picture about the plight of the Jews in Eastern Europe was painted by Joseph Hyman, general secretary of the Joint Distribution Committee, who, as a representative of the Joint, spent several months in Eastern Europe investigating the situation of the Jews there.
“I wish every American Jew would go just for a short time to Eastern Europe and see how our brethren struggle,” Mr. Hyman said, “as a result of the revolution in Russia, and the after-war effects in the rest of Eastern Europe, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Jews became declassed. That means they cannot make a living by the trade or profession they have occupied before. The most important help we American Jews can give is tools and machinery and raw materials for the Russian Jews in order that they may become productive and full-fledged citizens of the country; and credits to the small Jewish merchants in Poland and other Eastern European countries. I wish, therefore, that the delegates of this convention should aid the success of the People’s Tool Campaign and so render a great help to our brethren abroad.”
Dr. Leo Bramson, president of the world Verband Ort, who is now visiting this country, greeted the convention in the name of the Ort. Other speakers were: Paul F. Warburg, Abe Cahan, editor of the “Jewish Daily Forward,” Judge Jacob Panken, Alexander Cahan and others.
Herbert H. Lehman, Lieut. Governor, sent a message of greeting regretting his inability to be present at the opening of the convention.
That the situation of the Jews in Eastern Europe is getting worse every year, that the number of Jewish “declassed” in Poland, as well as in Russia, is increasing and that it is impossible to establish more Jews as farmers in Russia than have already been established there, were some of the striking statements made by Dr. Leon Bramson, president of the World Ort organization, in addressing the opening business session of the first annual convention of the People’s Tool Campaign in Beethoven Hall on Saturday.
Dr. Bramson declared that the situation of the Jews in White Russia, where two-thirds of them are without any occupation whatsoever, was worst of all. However, even in Poland, he said, more than two-fifths of the Jewish population is dependent on charity. Dr. Bramson said that the work of the People’s Tool Campaign in raising money in this country with which to provide the declassed Jews of Eastern Europe with tools and machinery so that they can earn a living, is as important as any work that is being done today on behalf of impoverished Jewry in those countries.
Between seven and eight hundred delegates, a large proportion of them representing Arbeiter Ring branches, participated in the convention. B. Vladeck, national chairman of the People’s Tool Campaign, in his report of the year’s activities, stated that about $100,000 was raised during 1929, which was only half of the quota assigned for the past year. He appealed to the delegates to intensify their activities during the coming year, so that a full $200,000 may be raised during 1930. J. Baskin, national treasurer, also reported.
J. Bernstein, of Detroit, was elected chairman of the morning session on Saturday. At the afternoon session several resolutions were adopted with a view to strengthening the People’s Tool Campaign in the future, and reports on the work of the campaign in various cities throughout the United States and Canada were rendered.
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