(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The full, official text of the Polish Jewish Agreement, concluded between the Club of Jewish Deputies and the Grabski government in July 1925, published here by the Club, deals with the economic, government, political; cultural and religious needs of the Jewish population in the Republic of Poland.
The decision to publish the text of the agreement was taken following a dispute between the Club and the subsequent coalition government, which has since resigned, as to whether the agreement included only the twelve points published at the time of conclusion or 42 points, as claimed by the representatives of the Club.
The text shows that the points on which the agreement was reached were divided into: (1) economic, (2) political, (3) cultural, and (4) religious.
The part treating of the economic demands of the Jewish population contained the following points:
1. Facilities to relieve the Jewish population from the compulsory Sunday observance law.
2. To amend the bill withdrawing the concessions on monopolized articles, which threatened the existence of 30,000 Jewish families,
3. To prevent the holding of market days on Saturday,
4. To amend the industrial bill which would, in its present form, affect the status of the Jewish artisans,
5. That the government will take a stand against the boycott activities of the anti-Semitic organization, Rozwoj,
6. To issue instructions to the tax collecting authorities that the nationality and faith of the taxpayer has no relation to the amount of taxation,
7. That Jews will be fairly represented on the taxation assessors commissions.
8. That, in allocating credits, the governmental financial institutions consider only the facts in the applications and not the nationality of faith of the applicants,
9. That the government institutions will, in the upbuilding work of the country, consider the needs of the Jewish population,
10. That the Jewish artisans will be enabled to enjoy the government credits,
11. That Jewish cooperative societies will have access to state credits,
12. That the government will appoint a proportionate number of Jews to the economic and financial institutions which are under the supervision of the state,
13. That the agrarian land reform will not be carried out on the basis of anti-Semitic tendencies.
The part treating of the political issues upon which the agreement was reached contained the following points:
1. That the government will take measures to regulate the citizenship question,
2. To formally abolish the legal disabilities and restrictions against Jews which existed under the Czaristic government,
3. That national and religious motives will not enter into the consideration of public matters concerning citizens,
4. That the government will employ a number of Jews as officials in the various offices and in all branches of the government service, particularly the former Jewish officials in the province of Galicia.
5. That Jews will not be discriminated against in employment in state enterprises, particularly the railways,
6. That the government will oppose the attempts to change the elections ordinance, which are calculated to curtail the rights of Jewish voters,
7. That the government will facilitate the emigration of Jews from Poland to Palestine.
8. That the government will legalize the activities of the Zionist Organization of Poland, which will establish an emigrants bank.
9. That Jewish soldiers who possess the necessary qualifications will not be discriminated against, but trained as non-commissioned or commissioned officers and that the acknowledgment on the part of the officers of their Jewish nationality will not hinder their promotion,
10. That the government will withdraw all secret circulars directed against Jews concerning the military service.
The part treating of the cultural needs of the Jewish population, upon which the agreement was reached enumerates:
1. That the government will extend the ordinance concerning the organization of the Kehillahs to the “Kresy,” the Eastern provinces of the Polish Republic.
2. That the government will withdraw the ordinance compelling the Kehillahs to conduct their business only in the Polish language,
3. To amend the Kehillah election procedure in the province of Galicia,
4. To enact a Kehillah election ordinance, granting general suffrage,
5. To extend the jurisdiction of the Kehillah and to permit the establishment of a Federation of Kehillahs as a “Kultusrat,” that is, a religious council,
6. That in the state schools with Polish as the language of instruction, a number of hours will be allowed for the Jewish pupils to receive instruction in Jewish history and religion,
7. That public rights will be granted to the Jewish schools which have Hebrew or Yiddish as their language of instruction,
8. That atendance at the Chedarim the Orthodox Jewish religious schools, will be recognized under the compulsory school law,
9. That the government will grant a subsidy to the Jewish schools for technical training.
10. That the government will issue an ordinance concerning the qualifications of the teachers in the Hebrew and Yiddish schools and will appoint a state examination committee,
11. That students of the Jewish schools will be admitted to the matriculation examinations,
12. That the government issue a circular instructing the school authorities not to restrict the admission of students to the high schools on the ground of their religion or nationality,
13. That the government will allow the use of Yiddish or Hebrew at public meetings,
The part dealing with the religious needs of the Jewish population upon which the agreement was reached contains the following points:
1. That Jewish children in public schools will be excused from writing on Saturday and Jewish festivals.
2. That Jewish children in the public schools, as well as Jewish soldiers in the army, will be allowed to pray,
3. That Jewish soldiers in the Polish army will be given leave of absence for the High Holidays,
4. That kosher food will be provided for Jewish soldiers or an equivalent payment will be made to them in order to enable them to purchase their food outside,
5. That the certificates of the Jewish seminaries will be recognized similar to the certificates of the Christian theological seminaries, in the appointment of chaplains,
6. That Jewish physicians will be considered in the appointment to sanitary service during mobilization.
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.
