Declaring they recognize that no one party in Palestine has a monopoly upon the fulfilment of the ideal of social justice, a group of American rabbis, headed by Rabbi Louis I. Newman of Temple Rodeph Sholom, is circulating a statement among the rabbinate of this country calling upon Palestine factions to emphasize their common interests rather than their differences.
Zionist objectives, land purchase, larger immigration and the development of agricultural, commercial and industrial life in Palestine can be attained only if all groups cooperate, the statement of the rabbis declares.
REPLY TO HISTADRUTH
The occasion for the statement, it was said, was circulation of an endorsement of the Histadruth, Central Labor Federation of Palestine, and the American League for Labor Palestine, among members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Edward L. Israel of Baltimore asked for the endorsement of the Laborite groups.
Associated with Rabbi Newman are Rabbis William. F. Rosenblum, Sidney E. Tedesche, J. X. Cohen, Herbert I. Bloom and John J. Tepfer.
The full text of the statement follows:
We, the undersigned, appreciating the fundamental significance of economic factors in the upbuilding of the New Palestine, take this occasion to express the hope that steps be adopted to avoid the appearance in Eretz Yisrael of those errors which have tended towards confusion and distress in the economic life of other countries outside of Palestine.
As rabbis we believe it our function and duty, irrespective of personal party affiliation, to hold forth the historic ideal of social justice as the formative concept in the economic upbuilding of the New Palestine.
MAXIMUM BENEFITS
We commend to our colleagues, to our congregants and the community, the wisdom of affiliating with and aiding those agencies of economic counsel and cooperation, which, irrespective of party, are assisting in the mobilization of private and public funds for constructive economic purposes in the Yishub.
As rabbis we urge upon the leaders of the Yishub and upon the Jewish Agency the importance of so guiding the Yishub in the relationship of capital and labor that the social health, tranquillity and progress of the land will thereby be promoted; to the end that the investment of new capital be utilized for the maximum benefits of the Yishub; that unwarranted speculation be avoided; that the scale of wages be just; that working and living conditions be steadily improved; that all classes in the economic life of the country cooperate in the upbuilding of the New Palestine in accordance with the highest concepts of prophetic and rabbinic tradition.
COOPERATION OF ALL PARTIES
We recognize that no one party or group has a monopoly upon the fulfilment of these ideals of social justice. We urge that the various parties emphasize their points of common interest rather than of difference (since any difference is minimal in character), and that all groups cooperate in the attainment of our essential objectives, namely, the purchase of the land, the entrance of an everlarger immigration, and the development of the agricultural, commercial and industrial life of the New Palestine.
Only through conciliation and cooperation can the Yishub be able to establish the secure foundations of a productive, a happy, a culturally and spiritually creative life in the New Palestine. As rabbis we are prepared to lend our best efforts to the promotion of this spirit of good-will and cooperation between all groups and parties striving for the upbuilding of Eretz Yisrael.
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