A luncheon in honor of Deputy Isaac Gruenbaum, who came to the United States to address the session of the American Jewish Congress which opens in Washington today, was given a luncheon Thursday at the Biltmore Hotel. The luncheon was arranged by the American Jewish Congress, the Zionist Organization of America, and the Federation of Polish Jews. Benjamin Winter, president of the Polish Federation, presided.
Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Judge Julian W. Mack, Emanuel Neumann and the guest of honor addressed the gathering.
Deputy Gruenbaum stated that he came to the United States, not for the purpose of collecting funds, but to tell American Jewry of the fight of Polish Jews for their rights. In some quarters, he said, the impression prevails that with the signing of the international treaties guaranteeing the rights of the national minorities, the matter was settled. In reality, the fight for the execution of these rights began when the signatures were aflixed to these treaties. It is imperative that American Jewry renew its interest in the fight for the protection of the rights of the Jewish population in Eastern Europe with the same attention as it gave to the problem in 1919, he declared.
Dr. Wise, in welcoming Deputy Gruenbaum, expressed satisfaction with his arrival. American Jewry, he stated, must not only send relief to European Jews, but must also listen sympatheti-cally and learn from the leaders of the old Jewish centers in Europe and take council with them as to their needs and problems.
The relations between the various groups in the Zionist movement also came up at the lunchcon. Dr. Weizmann, in his address, referred to Deputy Gruenbaum as one of the leaders of the Zionist opposition and stated that although there are fundamental differences between him and Deputy Gruenbaum, he is convinced that these differences spring out of deep convictions. He expressed the hope that Deputy Grnenhaum’s visit to the United States will enable him to appreciate more fully the difficulties which the movement has to face. Dr. Weizmann stated he believes that just as it is important for Deputy Gruenbaum to tell American Jewry of the situation in Poland, it is also necessary for him to describe to Polish Jewry the situation in American Zionism.
Replying to Dr. Weizmann, Deputy Gruenbaum stated that he will take advantage of every opportunity to learn the facts of the situation, but he is convinced that he will not give up his opposition as a result of his observations. There are certain principles in the Zionist movement, he stated, on which there can be no compromise. Deputy Gruenbaum is one of the leaders of the group of radical Zionists.
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.
