What Bulletin Readers Say

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

I have read Jacob De Haas’s letter on the Zionist split.

I have the highest regard and sincere respects for De Haas’s statements—but somehow I cannot believe that he has really become a “denunciator” instead of the “builder and interpreter” for Zionism.

This Revisionist vs. Poole Zionist quibbles is producing an ill effect upon the Zionist problems in general and upon Eretz Israel’s upbuilding in particular.

Of course the pace of growth that is blowing faith in Palestine must in some logical sense of reasoning be attributed to the Hisladruth.

Contrary to De Haas’s statement ### ‘Ben Gurion is at the moment a defeated leader’ the viewpoint held by Boris Smolor is held by a larger majodity—and that is “Mr. Ben Gurion… is the motive power of the Zionist movement today …”

Abraham I. Nisenbaum Bronx, N. Y.

ON THE CHICAGO SCHOCHTIM

To the Editor Jewish Daily Bulletin:

I note that Mr. Sahud based his article on my action in declaring vacant all of the offices in the Chicago Schochtim Union. You should know that “Mercaz Ha’ Rabbonim” is in error when it conveys the news that our Chicago Schochtim local union by my action is not in Jewish hands. It is the policy of our International Union with all of our affiliated Jewish organizations not in any way to interfere with the religious obligations of either members of the organization as a whole.

A vast majority of the members of the Schochtim Union in this city requested that the International ##on appoint supervisors because all sides admit they were unable to make any progress under the officials elected by the membership. The President of the Union himself was with the committee that requested the International Union to take the action it did. The organization, temporarily, is now in the hands of Mr. Morris Siskind and Mr. Lerner, both of whom are Jews and are prominent members of the Jewish Trade Union movement in Chicago.

Patrick E. Gorman President,

Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen of N. A. Chicago, Ill.

LEGAL VIEW OF THE “GET”

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

I have before me your issue containing a report of the proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and the action of the Assembly with respect to the “get” question.

Personally my sympathies are strictly traditional, but at the same time I feel that the law could be amended or modified to the solution of this most bitter and vexed problem, without infringing upon the spirit of the Torah, both written and oral.

One of our courts in the State of Maryland was confronted with a rather unique question during the early part of last Winter. This touched upon the power and duty of the State tribunals to enforce specifically a written or oral agreement, voluntarily entered into by a husband with his wife, wherein the husband agreed that if the parties would be divorced by the civil law, that he would authorize the writing of a “get” at any time that the wife would demand it. In that ##e the court refused to inter### upon the grounds that the Jewish Law presented such obstacles towards the performance of the act, which the court could not overcome.

This decision elicited consider#e comment and as a result there of I have written a paper which was published in the Baltimore Daily Record, a legal publication, in its issue of February 25 last, wherein I have endeavored to demonstrate, that in so far as the Jewish law is concerned, there are no obstacles such as the court objected to. At the same time, I have endeavored to show, that from the constitutional standpoint of the law, the decree of divorce granted by a State court is not an adequate and complete remedy, where, as in the case of Jewish marriages, the parties are left, in so far as their religious convictions are concerned, neither married nor divorced; and that therefore, the court has both the power and the duty to perfect the same, particularly where the husband has formally agreed thereto.

Solomon Hirschhorn.

Baltimore, Md.

OBSERVED BOOK WEEK

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

In his column on Wednesday, Mr. Smolar deplores the apathy of Jewish educational and cultural organizations, towards the celebration of National Jewish Book Week.

To the credit of Brooklyn College Library, however, it must be said, that this library manifested a sincere interest on the occasion of Jewish Book Week. In widely circulated notices, attention was called to the celebration of Jewish Book Week, together with an appeal to the students, to lend books of Jewish interest, to be exhibited in the college library. In this appeal, it was wholeheartedly supported by the Menorah Society Chapter of Brooklyn College. Through its medium of contact with the large Jewish student body, the Menorah has been able to present a fine collection of Jewish books, which were contributed by its members, to the College exhibition of Jewish books in observance of the National Jewish Book Week.

Marcus Bartfeld Secretary, Menorah Society of Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, N. Y.