There is a thorough desire and willingness on the part of Jewish leaders and the Jewish communities of West European countries to join in the extended Jewish Agency for Palestine, whose consummation is expected soon, Felix M. Warburg declared on his arrival Tuesday evening on the steamer Olympic from his trip to Palestine and his visit to several European countries. Together with Mr. Warburg, came Mrs. Warburg, Dr. Cyrus Adler, Mrs. Adler and Miss Adler.
Mr. Warburg expressed his satisfaction, when he was informed by the representative of the Jewish Telegraphic Agenry, that the Zionist General Council at its session in Berlin Tuesday morning ratified the final agreement on the Jewish Agency. “There is a general desire for Jewish unity. I have observed this in England, Germany and France, and there can be no doubt that when consummated the Agency will become a great factor in the Palestine work,” he stated, adding that he expects to attend the Agency constitution conference to be held in Zurich in August.
Mr. Warburg declined to comment
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in detail on the situation in Palestine before submitting his report to the Palestine Economic Corporation whose board of directors is to meet this week. “I can only reiterate what I have said at European points, that I was greatly impressed by the progress and the prospects of the country,” he said.
Mrs. Warburg, when asked for her-impressions, said that she is in agreement with the views of her husband. She expressed admiration for the Jewish women of Palestine who are “hard working, sturdy and admirable.”
The outstanding fact in the field of Jewish education in Palestine, stated Dr. Cyrus Adler, is that almost every Jewish child in Palestine attends school, although the country has no compulsory education law. From the elementary schools up to the Hebrew University, fundamental and much promising work has been and is being done, he said. Naturally, at this stage of the development the school system is not unified and there are various types of schools even within the system maintained under the aegis of the Zionist education department, such as the general Zionist schools which are secular in character, the Laborite schools which are intensely practical and the Mizrachi schools which are religious. Ultimately, the educational system will have to be taken out of politics and party management, but it is premature to say what type of school will finally prevail as the Palestine Jewish school system.
Asked which type of school appeals to him most, Dr. Adler stated he has no hesitation in saying that the Mizrachi schools attracted him most, since he is of the belief that education, particularly in the elementary grades, must have a positive character.
Concerning the revival of the Hebrew language as the spoken language of the Jewish population in Palestine, Dr. Adler stressed his view that the revival of the language is the outstanding development in Palestine today. It is not only a cultural contribution to Judaism, but it is actually a life necessity for the Jews of Palestine who would otherwise become a people of many dialects and languages without a common means of understanding. Linguistically the modern Hebrew as it is being developed in Palestine is a direct descendant of the Biblical and Mishnaic language.
Dr. Adler declined to discuss the political aspect of the Palestine situation, but expressed his belief in the fairness of the British people. Palestine, though a mandate territory, is, to all intents and purposes, a British colony, and there is a future for the Jews in Palestine, he said.
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.
