The sum of $17,000,000 will be sought here by a delegation of the Central Jewish Committee of Poland which arrived in the United States yesterday, it was announced today at a press conference at which the ten members of the delegation reported on the revival of Jewish life in the liberated Polish Republic.
Dr. Emil Sommerstein, head of the delegation, made a strong appeal to the Jews of America in behalf of the surviving Jews in Poland. He emphasized that it was the duty of American Jewry to help the Jews of Poland to restore their communal and cultural life, He pointed out that even if some Jews emigrate from Poland to Palestine, many thousands will still remain.
Members of the delegation reported that there are about 130,000 Jews in Poland and the Jewish population is expected to increase to 220,000 by the end of June due to the continuing repatriation of Jews from Soviet Russia. About 10,000 Jews are now undergoing Hachshara training, in preparation for emigration to Palestine, they said.
In Lower Silesia, acquired by Poland from Germany, there are about 40,000 Jews, the delegation revealed, While admitting that anti-Semitism is strong in the other sections of Poland, the members of the delegation said that in Lower Silesia Jewish settlers do not meet with antagonism from the Polish population and are successfully engaged in developing agricultural projects.
The delegation expressed the conviction that the Polish Government will contribute greatly to the revival of Jewish life in the country, but reiterated that American Jews must contribute at least seventeen million dollars to the Jews of Poland if they wish to see their speedy economic, social and cultural revival.
The delegation reported that the Central Jewish Committee of Poland this year received $735,000 from the Joint Distribution Committee in addition to transports of clothing and medicaments. It emphasized that only $5,000 was received from the Federation of Polish Jews.
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.
