Ratification of New Jewish Communities Law in Italy Unifies All Old Regulations

The new communities law regulating and defining the rights and functions of the Jewish communities throughout Italy was ratified today by the Italian cabinet. The most significant feature of the law is its provision for the unification of the old community regulations still operative in various parts of the Kingdom.

Many of these antiquated regulations, which antedate the foundation of the Italian state, are now brought together under unified administration and placed under government control. Together with this codification of the regulations the communities law makes it compulsory for all Jewish communities to appoint recognized representatives of Italian Jewry into a federation which will be advised by the rabbinical council. The council itself, however, lacks even disciplinary powers over the rabbis because this has been rejected by the united organization of Jewish religious groups.

This latter provision of the Jewish communities law is being received by

Italian Jewry with mixed feelings because hitherto the Jews have been free, although never compelled, to associate themselves as they desired in friendly or educational societies. While the federation plan is in keeping with the Fascists’ passion for grouping and labelling citizens it will also tend to create, it is feared, racial distinctions of which few Italians have hitherto been conscious.

GOVERNMENT COMMISSION HAD 3 JEWS

The government commission that prepared the law consisted of three Jews and three non-Jews. The chairman was Senator Berio and the Jewish members are Chief Rabbi Sacerdoti. M. Sereni. president of the Jewish communities federation, and Professor Mario Falco of Milan University.

While the full text of the Jewish communities law has not yet been published the draft of it, which was submitted some time ago, gives a fairly accurate idea of its leading provisions. The law proposes that Jewish communities be recognized as authoritative bodies with the right to own and dispose of property under the supervision and protection of the government authorities.

The communities would be governed by committees consisting of from three to fifteen members according to the size of the Jewish population. The committees would be elected by the community taxpayers. Every Jew would be required to pay a community tax unless he does not consider himself a Jew. The community would provide for the proper observance of the Jewish faith, regulate charity, administer marriage ceremonies, according to the recent laws regulating non-Catholic ceremonies, and would supervise Jewish public institutions.

In order to carry out the proposed activities the Jewish communities would be entitled to dispose of funds raised among members of the community. The communities would be linked in a national federation whose headquarters would be Rome and would be governed by a congress of presidents of the communities. Individual communities would be required to submit reports of balance sheets for the approval of the government.