Preparations went forward today for the biggest parade in the history of New York, as the American Jewish Congress announced that over 250,000 protest marchers may be expected in the May 10 demonstration against the Nazi burning of Jewish books.
A dignified and impressing demonstration of overwhelming magnitude is promised. Orthodox rabbis in their formal robes will head their congregations in the march. A solid section of 75,000 Jewish workers will form one part of the parade. Fifty floats, many banners and cartoons will illustrate the Jewish cause in Germany.
Names of Jewish authors and scientists, including the seven German-Jewish Nobel prize winners, will be displayed.
Samuel Levy, Borough President of New York, will head a group of Jewish public officials in the march.
NON-JEWS IN PARADE
Many non-Jewish organizations will be in the line of march, which is the second demonstration organized by the American Jewish Congress as an expression of Jewish solidarity in an unrelenting effort to bring about the return of Jewish rights in Germany.
The protest march has been arranged to coincide with the public burning in Germany of all books of Jewish authorship, sympathy, or theme, from the Bible translated by Luther to the treatises of Professor Eiustein.
Orthodox Jewry will be represented through the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America, having a membership of 1,000,000.
Three rabbinical associations of New York, the Assembly of Rabbis; the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the Banner of Israel, will march in a body.
The line of march has not yet been determined, but it is known that the procession will make its way through the principal thoroughfares of the city.
The eve of the demonstration, May 9, will be reserved for prayer in accordance with a proclamation issued to its affiliates by the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America.
Thirty-one leading labor, fraternal, religious, Zionist and other Jewish organizations, representing the vast majority of the 4,000,000 Jews in the United States yesterday announced that after careful consideration of the statement issued jointly by the American Jewish Committee and the B’nai B’rith, describing all protests against anti-Jewish discrimination in Germany as “futile”, it is their unanimous opinion that the protests must continue as they constitute the most effective means of bringing about the desired intercession.
AGAIN INVITE A. J. COMMITTEE
The organizations which joined the announcement, says the statement, “are firmly and unanimously behind the protest march arranged on May 10th, under the auspices of the American Jewish Congress.” They have already arranged for the participation of their membership.
“The cooperation of the American Jewish Committee and the Bnai Brith advocated by us through the American Jewish Congress has been and continues to be invited. Now more than ever there must be no self determined isolation on the part of any organic element in the community.
“In the space of one month, through a series of cabinet decrees, the Hitlerite government has succeeded in depriving more than one hundred thousand of Germany’s Jewish population of less than 600,000 of all means of livelihood.
“The fears expressed at the impressive Madison Square Garden meeting have been realized. To acts of physical violence has now been added the more subtly torturous and infinitely effective policy of economic, political and cultural elimination from the life of Germany.
“A new yellow badge of shame has been devised. It’s name is ‘second class citizenship’. This is the heritage the Hitlerites have determined the Jews shall will to their people.”
The following organizations joined in the statement: Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America; United Hebrew Trades; Workmen’s Circle; International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union; Jewish Socialist Party; Milliner’s Union; Forward Association; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; Independent Order Brith Abraham; Zionist Organization of America; Jewish National Workers Alliance; Hadassah; Mizrachi; Order Sons of Zion; Poale Zion-Zeire Zion; Young Poale Zion Alliance; Federation of Polish Jews; United Roumanian Jews; Federation of Ukrainian Jews; the Union of Zionist Revisionists; the Pioneer Women’s Organization; the Council of Young Israel; the Avukah; the Jewish Minister’s Association; the Histadruth Ivrith; the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary; the Agudath Harabonim; the Council of Orthodox Rabbis and the Degel Harabonim.
The Board of Directors, Staff, and Membership of Bronx House are giving a Pageant in honor of the Golden Wedding of Hon. and Mrs. Henry Morgenthau. This Pageant will give a complete picture of the activities of Bronx House, which was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Morgenthau in 1911. This event will take place on Sunday evening, May 7th, at 8:30 p.m.
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