Zivian Says Conference Will Be a Zionist Congress

Zivian, writing in the Jewish Daily Forward, declares:

“The contemplated world Jewish conference in Geneva will, it appears, be transformed into a world Zionist conference.

“Refusal to participate in this conference has been announced not only by American Jews affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, but Jews from other countries whom we are accustomed to term ‘assimilationists.’ The ‘assimilationists’ of Germany, of France and of England have declined participation. Nor is the Conference of Jewish Socialists participating. There remain only the general Zionists and the Poale-Zion-and that is all.

“True, Zionists are also Jews. And when Zionists of various countries congregate, they can say that this is a world Jewish conference. However, the name of a conference is not important. Important is what the conference represents. Should the conference in Geneva represent a Zionist gathering, it is, even from the Zionist standpoint, completely superfluous. The Zionists held a conference last summer and will hold another next summer.

“Everyone must agree that a congress can have no worth which is represented by a single group of Jews of a single line of opinion, when other groups of Jews are not only estranged but outspoken in their opposition.”

“Zivian concludes with pointing out that the American Jewish Congress has not been able to maintain its Geneva office, and that when this office was suspended, debts were owed which have not yet been paid.

The “Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle” declares:

“Despite the outspoken opposition of responsible Jewish leaders and organizations in America and throughout the world against the calling of a World Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Congress has taken upon itself the responsibility of calling a conference in August to organize such an international institution. All appeals for caution and calm consideration of the proposal, which none will deny is fraught with serious consequences to all the Jewish people, were cast aside by Rabbi Wise and his associates.

“We do not favor a world Jewish Congress as it is presently constituted. We deny that the ‘delegates’ chosen by the American Jewish Congress represent American Jewry. We deny that Rabbi Wise and his American Jewish Congress is any more representative of American Jewry than is Dr. Adler and the American Jewish Committee.

“The resolution calling for a world Jewish Congress earnestly urges ‘upon all representative bodies that they participate in this Conference to the end that the Jewish people may be united in this critical hour of its history.’ All we can say to that is that no group of Jews could conceive of a more effective manner of destroying that laudable object of unity in this critical hour than by forcing a ‘World Jewish Congress’ down their throats. Rabbi Wise may have his world Congress but he may have it at an awful price to the Jewish people. We do not want to see a definite split in American Jewry after all these years of progress to a decent Jewish unity. Disruption of American Jewish life could not be justified by ten thousand world Jewish Congresses. Let the ‘delegates’ to that Geneva ‘conference’ think that over.

The “Jewish Standard” of Toronto:

“We are primarily concerned with the main issue: Is a World Jewish Congress feasible or not? Shall representative Jews gathered in conference in Geneva discuss the wisdom or lack of wisdom of such a Congress? It seems to us that there can be only one answer to this question: By all means, yes. We see no particular danger other than the danger to which Jewry is already exposed by the convening of the Geneva conference and the discussion of the proposal for a World Jewish Congress It is quite possible that the conference in Geneva may decide against such a Congress at this time. That is its right. But to rule the question out of consideration on the ground that it may give anti-Semites an additional weapon to spread their poison gasses against the so-called Jewish conspiracy, seems to us rather pointless and irrelevant. With or without a Jewish Congress anti-Semites will continue their efforts to alarm the world about a Jewish conspiracy to dominate helpless Christendom. If anything, a Congress openly convened, placing the Jewish question squarely before the whole world, acting courageously and unafraid, may have the exactly opposite effect; an expose of Jewish suffering, misery, and helplessness, may destroy that fiction and effectively contribute toward the amelioration of the Jewish situation.

“It remains, however, for the Jewish leaders who will attend the preliminary conference in Geneva to decide whether a World Jewish Congress at this time or in the near future is feasible.”

Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organization, says the following in an interview which appears in the “Jewish Exponent” of Philadelphia.

“I am studying this problem most sincerely. One has, for instance, to know whether the Jews of Germany would favor such a gathering. There are pros and cons, but I certainly think it is worth while exploring the idea-not from an external point of view, that is, whether we should expose ourselves to the accusation of internationalism or not-a motive which might paralyze all our activities. I would dismiss such reasoning altogether-because we are compelled to defend ourselves. The question is only an internal one: whether we have the first condition-Jewish unity; whether any practical results can be expected, etc. I hope that all this will not be exploited as a slogan for dividing parties, but as a watch-word to establish a united front of World Jewry in these times of distress and danger.”

While in Paris, on his way back to London, Nahum Sokolow was received by the President of the French Republic, who asked a number of questions on the position of Jews in Palestine and in America, and who, Nahum Sokolow says, evinced a great interest in the future of the Jews.

The “American Jewish World” of Minneapolis has also expressed opposition to a world Jewish congress in an editorial.