Position of Jewish Communities in East European Countries Reported Deteriorating

The “definite deterioration” of the position of Jews in Eastern European countries was reported today to the council of the Anglo-Jewish Association.

H.A. Goodman, political secretary of Agudath Israel, told the council that while there was no danger now of physical violence against the Jews, action was necessary to secure the right of Jews to leave their countries of residence if they so desire, and also to safeguard human and religious rights.

He expressed the belief that little could be accomplished in the case of Rumania which had virtually no links with the west, but said that the situation was somewhat different with regard to Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Mr. Goodman castigated the so-called “Jewish Democratic Committees” in Eastern Europe. In Hungary, he said, the government had taken no action in the unauthorized ?ass emigration of 8,000 Hungarian Jews until these committees intervened. The main danger to the Jewish communities, he added, was in the imposition of unrepresentative leaders on their organizations. These leaders, rather than the governments directly, threaten Jewish existence, he declared.

Leonard Stein, president of the Association, announced that an important meeting of the governing body of the Consultative Council of Jewish Organization–which includes the Alliance Israelite Universelle, American Jewish Committee and Anglo-Jewish Association–will be held here in the latter half of July.