The Law Concerning the Religious Community of the Jews

1—The Religious Community of the Jews in the Kingdom of Jugoslavia is formed by all the members of the Jewish Faith, residing in the Kingdom of Jugoslavia. The members of the Jewish Faith enjoy full freedom in the public practice of their religion.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND THEIR CENTRAL REPRESENTATION

2—The members of the Jewish Faith are organized in religious communities, whose task it is to provide for the religious and cultural needs of their members. The religious communities, with the exception of the orthodox, form collectively a Union of Jewish Religious Communities, whilst the orthodox form an Association of Orthodox Jewish Religious Communities. The internal constitution of the Union and of the Association, as well as of the individual communities, their rights and duties, are regulated by statutes which are drawn up and adopted autonomously by the Union (or Association, as the case may be) and by each individual community, but which require endorsement by the Minister of Justice; and this, in the case of the communal statutes, on the proposal of the Union or the Association, as the case may be. The same holds good in regard to any change in the statutes.

3—The Jewish religious communities as well as their Union administer their own religious, cultural and charitable institutions independently, and equally so their own religious property and funds, though under the supreme control of the State. The communities decide independently regarding the acceptance of endowments for religious purposes, and they administer these, subject to the control of the endowment authorities, in accordance with the law concerning endowments. The Union, the Association and the communities, are juridical persons, and as such capable of acquiring and owning movable and immovable property in conformity with the laws, and of enjoying all the rights inherent therein.

4—The Jewish communities, their Union or Association as the case may be, exercise autonomous control over their revenue and expenditure, according to a special procedure governing the keeping of accounts, to be prescribed by the Minister of Justice by way of ordinance. According to (2) of the law concerning the Control-in-Chief, the keeping of accounts is subject to supervision by the authorities of the State, and the Control-in-Chief has power to control the employment of the revenues; and this in case of proved necessity, or at the demand of the Minister of Justice, of the Communities themselves, of the Union or of the Association, as the case may be.

5—Every community of one section or of the other, has its own territory, and its members are all the Jews, of either sex, living on that territory and belonging to that section. A part of the members may withdraw from the sphere of a community for the purpose of founding a community of the other section or of uniting with an already existing community of that other section, provided this is demanded by at least 20 adult and independent members, and if it can be proved that the withdrawal is due entirely to religious motives; further, that, in the case of a new community being set up, sufficient means are ensured such as may appear necessary for the maintenance of its institutions and the payment of its employees.

Communities which do not dispose of the means requisite for the functioning of necessary institutions and for the payment of the employees, may be dissolved, and their property and territory assigned to several neighboring communities, or to one: but only to such as belong to the same section. Decisions regarding the foundation, separation, union or dissolution of communities rest with the Minister of Justice, on the proposal of the Union (or Association, as the case may be) in agreement with the communities concerned, and, in the case of a new foundation, in agreement with the members who are striving for the establishment of a new community.

6—The Union and the Association are the central organs and representatives of all the communities of their respective section in Jugoslavia. In official intercourse they mediate between the central State authorities and the communities and represent the latter before those authorities. On a demand made by the Minister of Justice they render expert opinion on draft laws and ordinances dealing with the Jewish Religious Community.

In the Statutes of the Union (or Association, as the case may be), which are to be elaborated in the sense of (2), the organization of the governing board of the Union (and of the Association) and its sphere of action will also be clearly defined.

7—All the organizations of the Jewish Religious Community carry out their own decisions by themselves and collect their own revenues by themselves. On a demand by the communities, State and autonomous authorities will render them administrative help in collecting properly imposed taxes and dues, where it is a case of carrying out unexceptionable decisions and judgments, arrived at by the competent body, on legal grounds.

8—The Statutes of Jewish Religious Communities, provided for under (2), must contain the following basic provisions:

a. Territory and seat of the community, of the community’s representatives and of the competent registry-office.

b. Rights and duties of the members of the community, especially with regard to the right of voting.

c. The composition and manner of electing the heads of the community, the duration of their function as well as the sphere of action of their several organs.

d. Procedure during appointment of the rabbis (election), regulations concerning their rights and duties; further, mode of appointing other employees, and statement as to their rights and duties; finally, disciplinary regulations for the employees.

e. Manner of practicing religious instruction.

f. Regulations concerning private houses of prayer and religious meetings.

g. Regulations concerning the material safeguards to religious institutions for adherents of special rites,