Political Club Hit by Head of B’nai B’rith

Alfred M. Cohen, president of the B’nai B’rith, in a statement issued here today, branded as “vicious and un-American” the newly organized Brooklyn Jewish Democracy which was organized a few weeks ago with Samuel Liebowitz as its president.

Mr. Cohen denounced the purpose of the organization in no uncertain terms. It is a body, he said, composed of Brooklyn Jews whose objective is “frankly Jewish and undisguisedly political, and whose incorporation papers announce their intention to unite and coordinate the Jewish citizens of Brooklyn in a solid, formidable phalanx so that through united political action, they may accomplish their purposes. This is to secure ‘proportional political representation’ on the basis of the Jewish population of Brooklyn.”

The B’nai B’rith head referred to the “irony of fate” which brings to “the fore the Jew in an attempt to mix church and state. The thought makes one shudder.”

He assailed the attempt to establish a “bloc” and castigated the group for “being misled within its own ranks.”

THE STATEMENT

Mr. Cohen’s statement follows:

“The organization of a group of Brooklyn Jews as the Brooklyn Jewish Democracy, Inc., is bad enough, whatever its designs might be. With such explanation of its purposes as is made in its articles of incorporation, it is surprising to me that it has received the sanction of the State of New York to the extent of granting to it corporate powers. With such added explanation as has been made since the papers were granted, I believe if the attention of the legal authorities were directed thereto, the articles of incorporation would be revoked. So vicious and so un-American, in my opinion, is such an organization.

“From the standpoint of the Jew I believe that nothing which their enemies might inaugurate has larger capacity for harm to the Jews of this country than the undertaking of this group which has assumed the frightful responsibility of listing Jews as a distinct political entity.

“I know of no proposition that would on principle be more cheerfully embraced by enemies of the Jew than that urged by this Brooklyn group that the Jews in New York City be entitled to the number of teachers, students, public employees and the like, corresponding with the proportion of the Jewish population to the general population, because the same rule applied outside of New York City would leave the Jews throughout the country high and dry by reason of their fewness. I know of no more perfect case of a people hoisting itself by its own petard than the proposal of Brooklyn Jewish Democracy, Inc., extended over the length and breadth of the land.

“The purpose of Brooklyn Jewish Democracy, Inc., is un-American to the core.

“The Jew can contend against his enemies when he is right, and he will be saved, but his future is in the balance when wrong is done in his name by the misled within his own ranks.”

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