Proof of Polish Crisis

The decision of the Agudah members of the Polish Parliament to join the Jewish Sejm Club is another development emphasizing the serious plight of Polish Jewry.

The Agudah Orthodox Party in Poland always has been considered pro-government. It always avoided coordinating its activities with those of the Jewish parliamentarians who openly revealed themselves in opposition to the government. It has been enjoying government favor because of the support which its leaders have always lent to the government.

Now even the Agudah sees the necessity of a united Jewish front in Poland. The leaders of the Agudah realize that their playing into the hands of the government does not at all help the Jewish position in the country. They feel that their responsibility towards the three and a half million Jews in Poland is much too serious.

The move now made by the Agudah to join the Jewish parliamentarian club may lead to the end of the split existing in Polish Jewry. It may unite all Jewish groups and parties towards a joint fight for the Jewish rights for which the Polish constitution provides.

Polish Jewry has hitherto been a house divided among itself. There was no united front and no united leadership. Following the policy of dividing and thus conquering, the Polish government has always maneuvred to split Polish Jewry by favoring one group against the other.

Now the favored group in Polish Jewry, the Agudah, seems ready to desert the pro-government bloc. It seems to realize that until now it has served only as a tool in the hands of the government against the interests of Polish Jewry. It is ready to submit to the discipline of the Jewish Sejm Club and to work hand in hand with the other Jewish representatives in the Parliament.

For the Jews in Poland the new move of the Agudah will mean a united front. For the Jews abroad it is the best indication as to how serious the Jewish situation in Poland grows.