(Jewish Daily Bulletin)
Swept by emotion bordering on hero worship, a majority of the delegates to the thirty-first annual convention of the Zionist Organization of America, ignoring the opposition charges and overlooking the recommendations of the judges’ committee, returned to office the Zionist administration, with slight modifications, headed by Louis Lipsky as president. The presidential office under the newly amended constitution is shorn of administrative duties, it being confined only to the shaping of the organization policies.
Before the nomination was presented, Rabbi Max Heller of New Orleans read a statement in behalf of a committee representing a delegates’ caucus, in which the nomination was urged. “We unreservedly commend the reelection of Louis Lipsky, not only because of the universal acknowledgement of his outstanding qualities of leadership, but because there is no other man in American Jewry who can fill his place. We wish the world to know that we have no cause to distrust much less to replace him.”
Erza Shapiro of Cleveland, who presented the nomination in behalf of the nominations committee, termed Mr. Lipsky “the man who has risen from the ranks of Zionism,” a “democratic Prince in Israel.”
In his address at the close of the convention, the re-elected president expressed his gratitude to the majority of the delegates for the loyalty to him that they have manifested and declared that he had been determined not to accept re-election, but that developments at the convention compelled him to do so. He was glad, he stated, that the turbulence had come about at this time and hoped that the outcome will put an end to the “triviality and vulgarity” which had been shown. In concluding his address, Mr. Lipsky appealed to the administration and opposition forces to forget personal rancor and hatred and to strive for unity and harmony in the Zionist movement.
Due to the chaotic condition of the convention, the resolution concerning the Jewish Agency was the only matter pertaining to Palestine which was considered. Two resolutions on the subpect were presented and adopted, one on behalf of the Resolutions Committee by Samuel Markowitz and the other by Leo Wolfson on behalf of a special committee on the Jewish Agency. Both expressed satisfaction with the report of the Jewish Agency Commission, the difference in the two texts being that the first resolution expressed adherence to the Weizmann policy while the second, expressing satisfaction, embodied the reservations adopted by the Fifteenth Zionist Congress with regard to the Jewish Agency.
Dr. Stephen S. Wise, who spoke for the adoption of the second resolution, reiterated his stand, declaring that the Jewish Agency report is “merely a good beginning.” He insisted that Great Britain’s obligation was to change its attitude in conformity with its undertaking in the Balfour Declaration. When in Berlin at the meeting of the Actions Committee, the speaker declared, he will go into the matter in greater detail and will insist on safeguarding the interests of a Jewish Palestine and the high ideals of Zionism.
Maurice Samuel and Abraham Goldberg, defending the Agency plan, spoke for combining the two resolutions. Bernard G. Richards participated in the discussion.
Israel Mereminsky, speaking in behalf of the Palestine Labor Federation, criticised the Jewish Agency report, expressing fear that it contains danger for the work of the Jewish National Fund as the agency purchasing Palestine land as the inalienable property of the Jewish people. The attitude of the Agency Commissioners in general, he stated, may jeopardize the national social character of the Palestine upbuilding work.
An organization budget for a period of sixteen months was adopted, calling for the expenditure of $180,266. A resolution submitted by a group of delegates to encourage the work of various women’s groups along other lines than those of the Hadassah medical work was tabled on the recommendation of the Resolutions Committee.
An administrative Committee of forty members, which will, according to the amended constitution, elect a governing council of seven was chosen. Fifteen members of the Administrative Committee were elected as members of a Finance Committee, with representatives from all parts of the country, headed by Abraham Liebowitz of New York. At the demand of the opposition delegates, the vote on the Adminisrative Committee members was taken on each nominee separately. The opposition, including Dr. Stephen S. Wise, voted against the election of Maurice Samuel, Abraham Goldberg and other outstanding members of the Lipsky regime. All nominees were elected by a majority.
The members elected to the Finance Committee are Abraham Liebowitz, chairman, Philip J. Schotland, Newark, I. D. Morrison, New York; Philip Wattenberg, New York; Irving Rosenzweig, New York; Morris Weinberg, New York; Jacob H. Cohen, Brooklyn, Max Teicher, New York; Max Shoolman, Boston; B. Horowitz, Chicago; I. E. Goldberg, Hartford; Louis Topkis, Wilmington; Nathan Goldstein, Springfield; Oscar Berman, Cincinnati.
The Administrative Committee includes, besides the above members of the Finance Committee, William B. Leaf, Philadelphia; Louis E. Levinthal, Philadelphia; Mrs. Archibald Silverman, Providence, R. I.; Prof. Gustave Klausner, St. Louis; Harry Medinets, Perth Amboy, N. J.; Harry Friedberg, Kansas City; Morris Cohen, New Britain, Conn.; Rabbi James G. Heller, Cincinnati; Dr. A. Coralnik, New York; Jacob Fishman, New York; Abraham Goldberg, New York; Jonah J. Goldstein, New York; Herman G. Robbins, New York; Dr. Israel Goldstein, New York; Dr. Abraham J. Rongy, New York; Dr. David J. Kaliski. New York; Maurice Samuel, New York; Dr. Nathan Ratnoff, New York; David Freiberger, New York; Morris Eisenman, New York; Max Blumber, New York; Nelson Ruttenberg, New York; Max Perlman, New York; Herman Bernstein, New York; Judge Gustave Hartman, New York and Adolph Edlis, Pittsburgh.
An Executive Committee of 150 members, headed by Elihu D. Stone, United States Assistant District Attorney at Boston, as chairman was elected. Stormy scenes occurred when the election of the chairman of the National Executive took place. When the name of Mr. Stone was proposed by the nominations committee, hisses and boos were heard in the section of the hall where the opposition was seated. Mr. Stone took a leading part in the caucuses where the draft Lipsky movement was advocated. One of the delegates placed the name of Dr. Stephen S. Wise in a nomination from the floor as a counter candidate. Dr. Wise, in declining the nomination amidst the noise which prevailed, called forth a storm of protest when he appealed again to the presiding chairman, Max Schulman of Chicago, “to protect me from rowdyism.”
His nomination as a rival to Stone was an “insult,” he declared.
David R. Radovsky of Fall River, Mass., protested vigorously demanding, in an appeal to the chairman, that “the big men in this convention behave as well as the small men.” Rabbi Max Heller of New Orleans, honorary vice-chairman of the convention, vigorously rebuked the presiding chairman for allowing Dr. Wise to insult the convention twice by using the term “rowdies.” Dr. Wise acted “as the naughty child of the convention,” the former president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis declared.
In his remarks made later on the subject of the Jewish Agency, Dr. Wise referred to this rebuke and declared that he “hoped to be a better child at the next convention.”
The name of Dr. Mordecai M. Kaplan was several times placed in nomination for the chairmanship of the National Executive Committee, although Dr. Heller continually protested that Prof. Kaplan had told him before his departure for New York that he would not accept office and that he would advise his friends not to join the administration. Mr. Stone was elected to the post by a majority of 136 to 79.
Morris Rothenberg, Judge William M. Lewis and Max Schulman were elected Vice-Presidents. Isaac Meister was named Treasurer.
Mr. Morris Rothenberg presided at the concluding session.
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