Prussian Jews Complain at Delay in Enactment of Jewish Communities Law

The question of why a Jewish community ordinance for Prussia, giving the Jewish communities there the same rights as were recently accorded to Catholics and Protestants in Prussia, has not as yet been put into force by the Prussian government, was recently discussed at a meeting of a special committee of the German Zionist Federation, according to the “Juedische Rundschau.” That the delay in enacting this law is threatening the very existence of Prussian Jewish religious life was pointed out by several speakers, who showed how the law which doesn’t allow East European Jews who are not citizens to pay taxes to the Jewish communities is threatening to ruin many synagogues.

“More than a year and a half ago we were promised a Jewish community ordinance by the ministry,” said Arnold Wiener at the meeting. “During that time hundreds of wealthy Jews had to leave the Jewish community as taxpayers. When one considers that these people may not pay any more synagogue taxes for the rest of their lives, the total loss of the Jewish community within a few years will amount to millions of marks. And what reason is there anyway for the delay in the enactment of this Jewish communities law?

“The Evangelical and Catholic churches were recognized and their relation to the government was established even as far back as 1924. The Jewish communities of Prussia are today, 12 years after the establishment of the republic, still governed by laws, some of which are a century old.

“Our Jewish religious federation has almost unanimously decided for equal treatment of foreigners in the voting in Jewish communities. What justification has the ministry in acting aaginst the will of Prussian Jewry?

“The minister has even interfered in the religious life of the Jews. In smaller communities a decree is even being enforced that an East European Jew can never be called to the Torah—something which can no more be regarded as Judaism.”