(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Jewish religious leaders in the Republic of Poland and all interested in the principle of religious liberty were in doubt today as to whether the admission of proselytes to Judaism is prohibited by the Polish government.
Contrary to reports several days ago that the Minister of the Interior had issued an order prohibiting the Jewish communities to admit former Christians as proselytes to Judaism, it was denied in Polish official circles that such an order was ever issued. The officials stated that even if the issuance of such an order were demanded by the Catholic Church it would be impossible for the authorities to promulgate it in view of the fact that it is in direct contradiction to the principle of liberty of religious conviction guaranteed in the constitution.
On the other hand, the editorial office of the Yiddish newspaper, Der Hajnt, insists that it has seen the actual text of the governmental circular as furnished by Deputy H. Farbstein, president of the Executive committee of the Warsaw Kehillah.
The Hajnt quotes the text of the government circular which is dated April 5 and bears the number, 674, over the signature of Piletcki, government commissioner for the city of Warsaw.
The circular orders the subordinate officials to review the list of all those persons who have adopted Judaism in the period between December 1924 and January 1927. The circular prescribes no difficulties for such proselytes who are returning to Judaism after having perivously been converted to Christianity or for Christian born children of Jewish converts. However, with regard to all Christians of Christian parentage who are desirous of adopting Judaism, the ordinance invokes the Czarist government law of April 17, 1905 according to which all Christians are prohibited from adopting a non-Christian faith unless they had belonged to a non-Christian faith before embracing Christianity or are descended from non-Christian parents.
The circular points to the fact that this law has not been repealed in Poland and according to a decision of the Polish high tribunal of November 1924, this law is still in force. On the basis of this, the government circular states, all Christians who are descendants of Christian parents who adopt Judaism will be liable to punishment for this act and will not be legally recognized as Jews.
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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.
