Jews who violate the Sabbath openly or even those who shave their beards may be deprived of the right to vote in the elections for officials of the Jewish communities or kehillahs, and consequently of the right to hold any office in the council or executive committees of the kehillahs in the various Polish cities and towns.
This possibility was discovered today in Jewish circles after a careful reading of the new government ordinance concerning the functions of the kehillahs, the election of rabbis and the methods and regulations for choosing kehillah officials. It was pointed that if those who violate certain orthodox Jewish precepts are to be barred from participation in the work of the kehillahs, which in all other countries represent the entire Jewish community, such a situation would deprive the Polish kehillahs of any serious claim of representing the entire Jewry of their respective localities.
The new ordinance further limits those entitled to vote in kehillah elections by banning women and Jews who have publicly opposed Judaism, that is atheists and Communists.
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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.
