Zalman Rubashov, Histadruth leader, and associate editor of the “Davar,” sailed for Europe last night on the Leviathan after seven months spent in the United States in the interests of the Gewerkschaften campaign.
Mr. Rubashov, who is a vice-chairman of the General Council of the World Zionist Organization, is proceeding to London to attend the meeting of the Council which opens on July 28th.
Upon the conclusion of the sessions of the Actions Committee, Mr. Rubashov will attend the world conference of the Poale Zion and the Zeire Zion organizations which will witness the official merger of these two organizations in their world activities. Mr. Rubashov is a member of the Executive Committee of the Histadruth and of the world confederation of the Poale Zion. The world conference of the latter organization is expected to take place in Danzig on August 15th.
In an interview with a representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency prior to his departure, Mr. Rubashov discussed his impressions of Zionism in America and the work accomplished during his stay.
Here on his first visit since 1927. Mr. Rubashov visited 45 cities in the United States and Canada and aided in the raising of $78,000.
While this represents a drop of $22,000 from the amount raised last year, the Gewerkschaften campaign has not suffered as radically as have other fund raising efforts, Mr. Rubashov said. While the number of large donors has decreased, the number of small donors has shown a large increase.
Mr. Rubashov deplored what he called the disorganized state of American Zionism. He said that his visits throughout the country convinced him that Zionism is a living interest; that it has become a deeper, more personal, more serious interest with thousands of Jews.
His own experience has been that people are more interested in investments in Palestine than in the Arab question or the French report.
With such vast potentialities for Palestine, he expressed regret that attention should be concentrated rather on factional leadership than on practical work.
The role of American Zionism is now more important than ever before, Mr. Rubashov stated in view of what may develop in connection with the French report.
The agenda of the forthcoming Actions Committee cannot be regarded with a light heart, Mr. Rubashov stated. A difficult political situation is made more tragic by a financial situation which does not permit the progress of the work in Palestine which is now possible.
Of the French report, Mr. Rubashov said that no matter what its contents, “we will not permit it to overwhelm us.” A strong and organized opposition may be necessary in this connection, he stated, and in this opposition the strength of the American masses would be most important were it united behind us.
Asked his view on the forthcoming world Jewish Conference on the feasibility of establishing a world Jewish congress, Mr. Rubashov stated he does not believe that it will conflict either with the World Zionist Organization or the Jewish Agency for Palestine.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
