Long before the commencement of the time fixed for the opening of the meeting at Madison Square Garden, all the entrances to the Hall were besieged by vast crowds clamoring for admittance. The tickets for the meeting were exhausted before the day of the demonstration, but many came in the hope of securing admittance.
A special body of police under Police Commissioner Mulrooney was in charge of order in the hall and vicinity, and succeeded in marshalling the large crowds into the various entrances.
Practically every society, club, synagogue, and Jewish institution in New York was represented By seven o’clock crowds estimated at approximately 50,000 had passed across the entrance at 8th Avenue, and despairing at gaining admittance had moved on to the various overflow meetings, outside the hall and at Columbus Circle.
The various speakers and personalities received tremendous ovations as they entered the hall, evidence of the deep gratitude felt for the cooperation evinced by all sections and denominations of the American people in the difficulties facing German Jewry.
The speeches were broadcast over a nation-wide net work and beyond the ###ea. It is estimated that several mil-###ons must have listened into the ad###esses which made clear the nature ### the protest and the aims in the ###use of the world-wide Jewish anxiety.
The meeting was opened by former #epresentative Nathan L. Perlman, ###o introduced Bernard S. Deutsch, ##esident of the American Jewish ###ngress, who acted as Chairman at the gathering. Mr. Deutsch said:
“We are deeply grateful to our State Department for the promptness with which it sought and procured authentic information, which, despite repeated denials on the part of some German officials and the most rigorous censorship, brought prompt confirmation of physical mistreatment of Jews, picketing of Jewish merchandising stores and of professional discrimination. The State Department, however, has not yet had sufficient time in which to secure authentic information of the results of the Hitler propaganda, calculated to arouse the utmost resentment and which has been rampant for thirteen years, and the avowed subject of which is not alone the disfranchisement but the imposition upon the Jews of Germany of the vilest restrictions, discriminations and disfranchisement.
“The distinguished men on this platform, who have come to bear witness to the justice of our cause, will add their voices and lend their influence to our attempt to halt the march of the enemies of our people and the enemies of all that is sacred in human relationship.
“Representatives of various groups and faiths are here, but we are all brothers in our pride in what our beloved America stands for and in our devotion to the ideals of justice and fair play.”
Dr. Joseph Tenenbaum, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Congress, who was the next speaker, dwelt on the avowed anti-Semitism of the Nazi party, point-
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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.
