stein, who declared that the Union’s activities in this regard had inspired the survey now being undertaken by the National Industrial Conference Board.
Rabbi Goldstein also told of the Union’s activity in publicizing the evils of the commercialized mushroom synagogues. The material basis of this type of synagogue, Rabbi Goldstein said, was demonstrated by an advertisement of one of these synagogue in the “New York Times” under the heading of Amusements.
Rabbi Meyer Berlin, head of the World Mizrachi Organization, declared that there had been some complaints that in certain quarters of Palestine, the Jewish Sabbath was not observed. There was, said Rabbi Berlin, a measure of justification in the complaint, but he held, that even at its worst, there was better Sabbath observance in Palestine than anywhere else in the Diaspora. “If you can picture a state in which factories, stores, industry generally is at a standstill on Saturday, which is what occurs in Palestine, you will understand what I refer to. Individually of course, there are some violators of the Sabbath, but in so far as the community as a whole is concerned, the Sabbath is observed. We have taken a great step forward there.”
Economically, Rabbi Berlin expressed great satisfaction with the conditions in Palestine. “While the whole world is suffering from unemployment, Palestine, despite the large influx of immigrants has no unemployed, and even today eargerly awaits new immigrants.”
Leading a symposium on the Problems of the Synagogue, Dr. Moses Hyamson declared that the synagogue in America was not achieving its purposes and suggested that the cause for it was the “rampant individualism of our synagogues.” The United States, said Dr. Hyamson, might profitably copy the English patterns in that connection. The United Synagogue in England had proven a great conserving influence on the synagogal institutions of England. He remembered when the United Synagogue was organized in England, he declared, very modestly at first by the federation of three synagogues. Gradually, it had grown to the dimensions of its present stature.
William Weiss offered for the Convention what was described as a Seven Year Plan for the Union—a program of activities for the strengthening of the Union to engage the attention of the Union for the next seven years. This program included a national registration of Bar Mitzvahs with recurring efforts to cement them to the synagogue, the strengthening of Habonim and other Jewish youth organizations, adequate publicity by means of regular bulletins and other devices, the gathering of funds to extend the work of the Union and a drive for greater congregational memberships.
Representative Samuel Dickstein, chairman of the House Immigration Committee, outlined his policy of opposition to the disruption of families by immigration laws.
Following the announcement of Rabbi Goldstein, that he would not accept further re-election in the belief that the head of the Union should be a layman, William Weiss was unanimously chosen President. Other officers elected were: Rabbinic vice-presidents: Rabbis Leo Jung, Saul Silber and Moses Hyamson; lay vice-presidents: C. Joshua Epstein, A. L. Goldblatt, Israel S. Gomborof, Bennamin Koenigsberg, Samuel Feuerstein and Albert Wald; treasurers: Arthur I. Le Vine and Max Hershkovitz: secretaries: Morris Engelman, Harry G. Fromberg and Max S. Rosenfeld.
Meetings of auxiliary groups, Collegiate branch, were held under the leadership of Joseph L. Freiman and the Habonim with Rabbi Philip Goodman presiding.
Messages of felicitation were read from Governor Herbert H. Lehman, Dr. Bernard Revel and Dr. H. Pereira Mendes.
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.
