Problems of Jewish Youth Clubs in Poland Discussed in Warsaw

The question of whether Jewish children and youth in Poland were being isolated from the rest of society by having clubs of their own, was posed at a two-day national conference of Jewish club leaders in Warsaw, it was reported here today from the Polish capital.

There are in Poland 23 Jewish children’s and youth clubs, which engage in usual club activities in addition to providing instruction in Jewish history and folklore. This was given as justification for the existence of special clubs for the young people of the Jewish community, of whom some 2, 000–nearly the total number in these groups–are members of the clubs.

Several speakers, however, pointed out that the disadvantage of the Jewish clubs is that they foster a spirit of exclusiveness and prevent a spirit of internationalism from asserting itself among young Jews. Experts told the conference that the answer to the question was not liquidation of Jewish clubs, which even their critics do not suggest, but more cooperation with general clubs in such fields as sports, art, photography and world literature.

The problem of cooperation with general Polish institutions was also raised at a meeting of branch leaders of the Jewish Cultural and Social Association, a central body of Polish Jews. It was stressed at the meeting that such cooperation was vital and must be fostered more energetically, although many branches already operate with Polish institutions in their towns quite successfully.

Polish Jews, worried lest they be accused of exclusiveness and self-centeredness, are genuinely trying to strike a balance between Jewish activity and full participation in the life of the country. This is both a problem of spiritual adjustment and of organizational technique.