Worst Evil That Jewish People Suffers is Disorganisation: Hopelessly Split in Many Warring Parties M

The worst evil from which the Jewish people suffers is disorganisation, Mr. Leo Simon, a leading figure in Jewish life in Germany and a prominent German industrialist, said in an interview with the J.T.A. here, urging the convocation of a conference of leading Jews. We are hopelessly split, he said, in many warring parties, each proclaiming their partial solution as an all-round panacea. The Jewish Community in my opinion will never be able to cope with the grave problems which confront it until it at last creates an organ fully entitled to represent it and to take action on its behalf. Never was the need for such an organ as pressing as to-day. Not only has the economic crisis played havoc with the Jews, but an ever-growing antisemitic movement strives to destroy the equal status of the Jew as a citizen. Never in modern history has world-Jewry faced such cataclysms of misfortune and never, there fore, has sound, wise and statesmanlike leadership been so necessary as to-day.

No group can hope to battle successfully against powerful odds if it remains disunited. I daresay that no people have proved to be so unpolitical as ours. How many clever arguments have been invented by us to prove that organisation, union of forces, combining of our resources are unnecessary, superfluous, and even harmful? In this dire hour of our history, our best men in every country should meet and in mutual consultation work out plans for improving the lost of our people.

I believe in the energy and resourcefulness of our race to find a way out of even the most desperate situation. How deplorable and suicidal is this process of mutual strife among ourselves that Jewish life in most countries represents.

In Poland, Roumania, or Germany, everywhere we find our Jews fighting each other with ferocity, although the fate of our entire community – spiritually as well as economically is everywhere at stake.

The Jew cannot commit a greater folly than to fail to organise himself because of the fear of antisemitic libels. We must cease to be governed by fear. No group can afford to forego its self-defence because of the fear of misinterpretation. For a people whose very religion is universalism, the brotherhood of man, to fear internationalism means that it is placing opportunistic considerations above the essence of our best teachings.

Catholics, Socialists, international movements for the promotion of peace, do not hesitate to emphasise strongly the international character of their causes. Only we Jews are afraid of our very shadow. If the Jewish position in one country breaks down, if antisemitic measures are taken in one State, it undoubtedly affects the position of the Jews in other countries, and yet we hesitate to help each other in our common battle. Only when we cease this short-sighted policy and succeed in creating Jewish unity, will we be better prepared to face this world, which is so rich in difficulties and enemies for the Jews.