News Brief

Orthodox Jewry in the United States may, by exercising some pressure, put an end to the separatist action of the ultra-Orthodoz Agudath Israel party in Palestine. This was the assertion of Rabbi Saul Silber of Chicago in an address he delivered at the second session of the Mizrachi convention in session at the Adath Jeshurun Congregation here.

The session assumed a lively character when Rabbi Silber commented on the report of Rabbi Elijah Inselbuch on recent Palestine developments in regard to the formation of the United Jewish Community and the Sonnenfeld group urging secession. Rabbi Silber demanded that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis and other organization and individuals supporting Jerusalem institutions of the old type warn them that support will be discontinued if they continue to lend financial aid to the ultra-Orthodox group to carry out their separatist policy. The charge was made that the old institutions in Jerusalem receiving American support compel the recipients of their funds to support the Agudah polities.

He charged in particular the Dyskind Orphan Home and aroused some protest when he alluded to Rabbi Sonnenfeld, whose policy he deemed corrupt and dangerous to Jewish interests in Palestine. Both Rabbi Inselbuch and Rabbi Levinthal of Philadelphia expressed their disagreement with the ultra-Orthodox attitude in Palestine.

Rabbi Levinthal disclosed that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis contemplates convening a conference of leading rabbis this summer in a European city for the purpose of seeking ways of reconciliation and harmony with the

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Agudah group. The split in Jerusalem has a bad effect on the status of the Rabbinate everywhere, he said. Some rabbis among the delegates protested against the speaker for mentioning Rabbi Sonnenfeld’s name.

For the first time in many years the Mizrachi finances showed improvement. According to the report of Abraham Cohen of New York, chairman of the Finance Committee, the organization had an income of $33,662 during the year with an expenditure of $30,806. This included a subsidy from the Mizrachi world headquarters in the amount of $6,760. While the organization has a deficit from previous years in the amount of $25,000, this year efforts were begun to reduce the deficit.

Rabbi M. A. Ashinsky of Detroit urged efforts to create a strong Mizrachi Organization in the United States. Z. Karp of New York submitted a report on the development of the youth movement, stating that the Young Mizrachi has fifteen branches in the U.S.

Lively discussions on the Palestine situation and the Jewish Agency consummation are expected during the sessions. Nine committees were created to deal with questions under discussion. Harris L. Selig was named chairman of the resolutions committee, Rabbi Silber, chairman of the education committee, Rabbi J. Kowalsky, nominations committee, Dr. J. Bluestone, chairman congress committee, L. Dunn of Detroit, chairman Agency committee.

A banquet in honor of the delegates was given in the evening. H. Selig acted as toastmaster. Among the speakers were Gedalia Bublick, Rabbi Wolf Gold and others.