Representation in Jewish Agency is Advocated by German Orthodox Jews

(Jewish Daily Bulletin Mail Service)

The question of the Jewish Agency agreement concluded between Dr. Weizmann and Mr. Louis Marshall, as viewed by Jewish orthodoxy, is set forth in a leading article appearing in the “Juedische Wochenblatt” of Frankfort.

“The state of affairs now created,” the paper writes, “has raised for us anew the question of the attitude of Jewish orthodoxy towards the Jewish Agency. Insofar as the Agudath Israel is concerned, the negotiations carried on about 18 months ago with Dr. Weizmann have had such negative results that the participation of the Agudah, desirable as it is, can hardly be considered practicable. More important, therefore, is the interest in the new body of the traditional observant Jews who are organized otherwise than in the Agudah. This refers to the Mizrachi, to those orthodox Jews organized in Germany in the Achduth, which is neither Agudist nor Zionist, and orthodoxy as represented in Palestine by Chief Rabbi Kook, with its adherents in large or small groups in other Jewish countries.

“If the Jewish Agency is to be a real microcosm of the Jewish people, and only if it can with justice claim to be representative of all Jewry, the authoritative influence of the traditionally observant element in Jewry must not be excluded. They must demand, therefore, that the Mizrachi should obtain within the limits of the fifty percent, of Zionist representation in the Agency sufficient seats to correspond with their strength, that the general Zionists should send as their delegates a sufficient number of orthodox Jews, as is done at all Congresses, in recognition of the fact that not all traditionally observant Jews are organized in the Mizrachi, and finally that there should be sufficient seats among the fifty per cent, of the non-Zionists left for those groups of orthodoxy which are neither Zionist nor Agudist but are true to the cause of Palestine.”