State Department Urged to Secure Establishment of “commission on Restitution” for Jews

The State Department was urged today, in a resolution adopted at the closing session of the national Mizrachi convention, to take the initiative in establishing a Commission on Restitution “to survey the amount of loot confiscated by the Nazis from Jews in European countries which they overran.” Funds belonging to claimants who can no longer be found should be used for the resettlement of destitute Jews in Palestine, the resolution added.

Emanuel Neumann, director of the Commission on Palestine Surveys, who submitted the resolution, estimated that the Nazis have seized $6,000,000,000 worth of loot from Jews, and suggested that a “Bank for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Jewish Refugees” be established to use reparations obtained from the Germans to settle in Palestine European Jews who desire to go there.

Other resolutions adopted at the convention, which was attended by 550 delegates, asked the United Nations leaders to induce the German Government to give war prisoner status to Jews in occupied territories; assailed the terror in Palestine, while, at the same time, condemning the deportation by the government of “innocent hostages:” pledged support of the American Jewish Conference and paid tribute to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver for his “dynamic leadership of American Zionism.”

It was reported at the conference that the American Mizrachi Organization has sent $125,000 to Palestine in the past year for the transportation and care of 1,100 Jewish refugee children. The formation of an “American Eretz Israel Corporation” to “foster and encourage trade between the United States and Palestine, and Palestine and its neighboring countries” was announced.

Leon Gellman was re-elected president of the organization. Vice-presidents elected were: Herman Hollander of New York, and Harry Kraft of Boston. Rabbi Max Kirschblum of Brooklyn was named to the newly-created post of executive vice-chairman.