The Polish National Council today rejected a motion that Jews be given cultural autonomy in post-war Poland. Emanuel Szerer, one of the Jewish members of the Council, introduced the defeated measure which was supported the Socialist members of the Council and by several members of the Polish Peasant Party. while rejecting the proposal for cultural autonomy, the Council voted to grant possibilities for national and cultural development” to Jews in Poland after the war.
Speaking for his motion, Szerer quoted from a statement of Jan Stanczyk, Polish Minister of Labor, to the Jewish Labor Committee in New York proposing that Jews be given cultural autonomy upon the liberation of Poland from the Germans.
The rejection of Mr. Szerer’s motion follows last week’s rejection by the Polish National Council of a motion made by the same Jewish deputy asking that measures were taken by the Polish Government-in-Exile to counteract anti-Semitic activities in the Polish army. The majority of the Council refused to vote for the motion unless all references to the existence of anti-Semitism in the ranks of the Polish armed forces were deleted. The Council adopted a substitute resolution which, making no mention of anti-Semitism, declared that “brotherly relations between members of all forces and denominations in the Polish armed forces are absolutely necessary.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
