[The purpose of the Digest is informative. Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation does not indicate approval.-Editor.]
Queen Marie’s statement to representatives of the Jewish press admitting that “there have been some difficulties” in regard to the Jewish situation in Roumania but disclaiming any responsibility in the matter and asserting that she and the King have many Jewish friends, is commented on by the “Day” of yesterday.
“We do not know,” the paper says, “to what extent things are being ‘straigtened out’ in Roumania, though we do know well enough regarding the ‘difficulties’ relative to the position of the Jews in Queen Marie’s kingdom, but we take the Queen’s word that she has many Jewish friends. We also know that among the Roumanian Jews in America are many who wish to greet her. The Federation of Roumanian Jews sent representatives to the city’s reception at City Hall, the Roumanian synagogue, Shaarei Shomayim, of Chicago, plans to invite the Queen, a convalescent home in New York erected and supported by Roumanian Jews is preparing to send Jewish girls dressed in Roumania’s national costume to greet her. There is a great deal of political naivette and stooping in this, but it does indicate that the Queen is not altogether wrong when she speaks of her Jewish friends.
“We wish to explain to the Queen, since she is after all but a guest in America, that in this country there is a saying current regarding people who prefix their statements with the remark: ‘my best friends are Jews.’
“Whenever an enemy of the Jew wants to justify a bad joke of his at the expense of the Jews, or an act of his aimed at the Jews, he starts his defense with the old phrase-my best friends are Jews.
“The Jews of America have learned to judge their friends and their enemies not on the basis of a few words uttered at an opportune moment regarding personal friendships which may also include some Jewish individuals, but on the basis of actual facts and deeds.
“And may the Queen of Roumania have ten times her present number of Jewish friends in Roumania and in America. Jewish public opinion can have an interest in her only as a queen of a country where the Jewish situation is still very, very deplorable and where every influence that may lead to a better, friendlier attitude to the Jews on the part of the government, is justifiable.”
DOLLARS INSTEAD OF ADVICE
The results of the non-partisan economic conference on Palestine which took place last week in London, are criticized in the “Jewish Morning Journal” by Jacob Fishman, who declares that Palestine’s urgent need today is “money rather than advice.”
“From the cable reports,” writes Mr. Fishman in the issue of Oct. 17, “we see only advice, recommendations to the Keren Hayesod, the National Fund and the Zionist Organization: create credits, secure a loan from the Palestine government, etc.
“The question arises: Do we not know full well that we need these things? In fact, these are the constant complaints heard at all Zionist gatherings, from the Congress to the Actions Committee meetings, What is the cause of these complaints? Very simple: there is not sufficient money. And why is there no money? Because the Keren Hayesod, the National Fund, the Zion Commonwealth and other Zionist institutions are supported only by a part of the Jewish middle class. Our wealthy men do not give for Palestine even a small percentage of what the middle class gives. And if we do have a score or so who are interested in ‘economic councils’ and ‘economic boards’ for Palestine, they demand such drastic conditions for Palestine investments as are never expected of investments outside of Palestine, they demand bigger dividends in Palestine than they do in the diaspora.
“It is an open secret,” the writer declares further, “that the London Economic Board or Council, which has been in existence for some years, has so far done nothing concrete for Palestine, because the Waley-Cohens who control it demand impossible profits in Palestine. Not much different is the situation with regard to the American Palestine Economic Council.
“The truth must be told, even to our notables, that we are well-stocked with ###vice. What the present writer expected to hear from this conference is not what the Keren Hayesod or National Fund needs to do, but how much these eminent gentlemen are going to give for the Palestine funds. What new sums has the London conference created#”
Twenty-seven Jewish students are among the seventy-two on the honor roll of the College of Arts and Pure Science of the University Heights section of New York University.
Harry Friedman achieved the highest honors of the senior class. Sidney Gottlieb leads the sophomore class.
The body of Rabbi Emanuel Gerechter, former professor of languages at the University of Wisconsin, was sent yesterday to Appleton, Wis., where Masonic funeral services will be held and interment will take place. Rabbi Gerechter died Thursday at the home of his niece, Mrs. Geisenheimer, in New York City, at the age of eighty-four.
Born in Germany, Rabbi Gerechter came to this country sixty years ago. After serving half a century as a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin he was retired on a Carnegie pension.
JEWISH COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES
The new building of the Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, Md., formerly the Hebrew Hospital, was opened on Sunday. Patients in the old building will be transferred soon, after which the old building will be reconstructed and will become the children’s ward.
Miss Ada Rosenthal, superintendent, said there will be 125 free beds and 101 private rooms in the adult department. The children’s ward will contain 28 beds.
The Institute of Jewish Studies, Newark N. J., which is being sponsored by the Newark Y. M.-Y.W. H. A. will be formally inaugurated tonight. The principal speakers will be Harry L. Glucksman, executive director of the Jewish Welfare Board and A. J. Dimond, president of the Y. M. H. A. and the local Conference of Jewish Charities. Nathan Kussy will preside.
The faculty members of the Institute will be Dr. A. G. Robison, executive director of the local Y. M. H. A.; Rabbi Julius Silberfield, Rabbi Charles I. Hoffman and Pincus Schub. There will be classes in Hebrew, Jewish history, Bible literature, principles and practices of Judaism and current Jewish problems.
The Jewish Community Blue Book of Newark made its appearance last week. The edition is published by the Jewish Community Blue Book Company. The volume contains a local “Who’s Who,” a local history and a local directory of various organizations and institutions. Anton Kaufman, publisher and managing director of the Jewish Chronicle, is chairman of the board of directors of the Blue Book Company.
A survey of the Jewish philanthropic and social activities in Baltimore, Md. to ascertain their present status and to learn in what ways they can be improved will be made soon.
A citizens’ survey committee has been formed with Sidney Lansburgh, president of the Associated Jewish Charities, as chairman. The survey will be conducted by the Bureau of Jewish Social Research, of New York.
A recent meeting was held at which plans for the survey were formulated. The principal speaker was Samuel A. Goldsmith, of New York, a director of the research bureau.
The Newark Conference of Jewish Charities has decided upon a survey of all phases of social service in the city. The survey, it is announced, will include all organizations in the Jewish community, those affiliated and not affiliated with the Conference, who are engaged in the service of child care, hospitalization, care of the aged and infirm, educational and recreational fields, etc.
The study is to be made by the Bureau of Jewish Social Research of New York. Frederick Jay, chairman of the social welfare committee of the Conference and Mrs. Leah Frank Segal, executive director, were authorized to arrange for the survey.
Mayor James J. Walker, Louis Marshall and Judge Otto Rosalsky are expected to officiate at the ceremonies marking the dedication of the Ocean Parkway Jewish Center.
The structure was completed at a cost of half a million dollars, exclusive of the land. The building is of Georgia colonial architecture, rising seventy feet. Entirely of marble is the ark in the synagogue constructed, with hronze doors.
More than 200 representatives of department stores pledged themselves to secure ten workers each to attend the campaign rally at Hotel Pennsylvania Sunday evening, November 7, in the interests of the $4,720,000 Tenth Anniversary Campaign of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies.
Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Solomon Lowenstein, executive director of the Federation: Arthur Lehman, former president of the Federation, and Z. D. Bernstein of the executive committee of the Federation, addressed the gathering.
“Social breakdowns must be prevented as far as possible.” said Dr. Wise. “The Federation is the pooling of the resources of the Jewish community to the end that social, educational and economic needs be met and that as far as possible social breakdowns endangering society be prevented.”
Among the guests of honor were Frederick Brown, general chairman of the campaign; Henry F. Samstag, chairman of trades’ organization of the Federation; Oscar Abel, Jack H. Mack, Louis J. Chamansky, John Block and Felix Lilienthal.
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.
