A resolution of protest against the attitude towards the Jewish flag displayed recently by the incoming Grand President of District No. 4, B’nai B’rith, Rabbi Samuel Koch of this city, has been sent by Bellingham Lodge, No. 756 to the General Committee of District No. 4 and to all the Pacific Coast Jewish papers and the B’nai B’rith magazine. It will undoubtedly be considered at the convention of District No. 4 which will take place at San Diego, Cal., tomorrow.
RABBI KOCH CENSURED
In the resolution Rabbi Koch is censured for having objected, at an open meeting of the Seattle Lodge in February to having the Jewish national emblem, the Mogen David on the Blue and White background, hanging beside the American flag at a meeting of the B’nai B’rith. The meeting taking place in the month of the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington, Rabbi Koch was to speak on Americanism. He stated that the two flags hanging there were at variance with his subject, standing as they did for a double allegiance; that the B’nai B’rith had always respected the personal sentiments of their members whether they were in the minority or majority, and that since some of them did not believe in a national homeland in Palestine, the flag of Zionism had no place at a B’nai B’rith meeting.
In a front page editorial, entitled “Look Before You Leap,” the “Jewish Transcript” of this city comments as follows on the resolution censuring Rabbi Koch.
MAY CAUSE DEFEAT
“If the matter is brought before the Grand Lodge it is possible by reason of the strong Zionist tendencies of the great bulk of delegates that it might lead to the defeat of Rabbi Koch as candidate for Grand President of the District. A defeat of Rabbi Koch at this time would not be a defeat for Rabbi Koch personally, but a defeat for Washington Jewry.”
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.
