“The work which our Executive Council has mapped out will be conducted along the following lines—to adjust the Jews to the present conditions in Germany, so that they may adapt themselves to the present conditions in the best way possible; to assist Jews to emigrate from Germany to different parts of the world; and to promote a systematic and orderly settlement of German Jews in Palestine,” was the recent declaration of Dr. Werner Senator, who together with Dr. Ludwig Tietz, constitutes the Supreme Executive for Jewish Relief, embracing all the Jewish relief organizations in Germany, which has been set up to co-ordinate and supervise the work done by the various Jewish institutions in Germany in the direction of relief work on behalf of German Jewry.
“The Relief Executive is now completing a plan which, it is hoped, will more or less adapt German Jewry to the new situation in the country, and will, in addition, enable not less than 6,000 German Jews to emigrate to Palestine and thousands more to other countries.
TO CO-ORDINATE RELIEF
“The main purpose of the newly created Executive Council is to coordinate the work done by all the existing Jewish relief organizations,” Dr. Senator said, “and to advise them how to conduct their activities without duplication.
“There has been so much waste,” he explained, “and so much duplication in the work of the various organizations, that the Jewish leaders in Germany found it essential to set up a central body equipped with efficient machinery to examine the plans for the relief and constructive work on behalf of German Jewry, and to allocate the work among the existing organizations.
“We are now putting the finishing touches to a plan for adjusting the Jews who remain in Germany to the new economic conditions. We intend to reorganize and expand the system of Jewish Credit Kassas, so that they can provide credits for Jewish merchants who are now being refused such credits by the Government banks.
FOR JEWS IN PROFESSIONS
“Jews belonging to the liberal professions will be assisted to find new professions and openings, the Jewish youth will be trained for work which can provide them with a livelihood, even under the present conditions in Germany, and steps are being taken to obtain legalization for Consultative Offices which will provide legal advice and assistance to Jews who require it.
“In matters of emigration,” Dr. Senator said, “we are working in close contact with the Hias-Ica-Emigdirekt, to find openings for Jewish immigration outside Palestine. We are assisting East European Jews to return to their native countries. We are providing special facilities for German Jews who wish to leave the country. The Hicem is carrying out investigations with a view to giving guidance to those German Jews who are willing to go to any country that will offer hospitality, and have no connections of their own. Efforts are made to direct the emigrants to those countries where they can find work, and can make use of their professional experience.
TENDENCY OVERSEAS
“During the first period, in March and April, there was a strong tendency among German Jews to go to the countries bordering on Germany, but now there is a definite tendency to emigrate to overseas countries, especially to Brazil and other South American countries.
“The problem of assisting German Jews to go to Palestine,” Dr. Senator went on, “is one of the most important on our agenda. It may be assumed that about 6,000 German Jews will enter Palestine from April to October of the present year, including workmen, capitalists, artisans and relatives of Palestinian residents.
“Fortunately, Palestine now offers considerable opportunities for investment, which if properly utilized will very much help to alleviate our problem.
“It is intended to utilize the existing opportunities for training young Jews who are going to leave Germany. Plans for agricultural and urban colonization are under consideration.
“We are paying particular attention to the question of transferring children to Palestine. We are working on a plan now which will provide for the gradual transference of a large number of Jewish children from Germany to Palestine, where they will be educated in various Jewish colonies specially established for children, and also in other educational institutions, where they will obtain proper instruction and maintenance.
“Our plan needs large sums of money,” Dr. Senator concluded. “But we do not despair. We have hopes that the funds will be found to carry out this important work in a proper and systematic manner.”
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.
