(By our Berlin Correspondent)
More than 70,000 members are organized in the Central Union of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith, Justizrat, Dr. J##, the President of this association, declared in a special interview with your corespondent. It represents to-day the largest association of German Jews.
When in the 90’s of the last century anti-Semitism assumed a grave form due to the influence of the Court Chaplain Stoecker, the German Jews had intended to address a petition to the then Kaiser, asking for his protection against this campaign. At that time, in 1893, a leaflet called “Schutzjuden oder Staatsburger?” by Dr. Raphael Lowenfeld appeared, making the impressive plea that the German Jews instead of begging for equality which they only enjoyed theoretically since 1869, should demand their rights. This led to the consititutive meeting of the Union on March 26, 1893.
The founders issued the slogan: “German Jews, Protect Yourselves!”
The aim of the Association, is to organize German citizens of the Jewish faith without regard to their religious or political inclinations, in order to strengthen their efforts in the fight for civil and social equality and in the cultivation of their German consciousness.
Germany has been divided into 21 districts. which have their headquarters in the larger cities. Six hundred local groups are subject to these districts: in addition there are individual members residing in about 1,000 small towns.
The Association issues a paper, the “C. V. Zeitung” which is forwarded to every member. All religious groups in German Jewry are represented in our Association and work closly with us. The Executive Board, which is composed of the most prominent members of the Jewish community of Germany, meets every month. Two or three times during the year a meeting of the National Executive is held, in which almost all members living outside of Berlin regularly participate. Convention is held every two years, at which all constituencies are represented according to their membership. The convention works out general lines of policy and elects the Board. In addition to this there are a number of important commissions. The most important, the administrative, under the chairmanship of Oscar Heimann, is in charge of the financial affairs of the Association.
“It is difficult,” Justizrat Brodnitz continued, “to give in the form of an interview a comprehensive picture of the complicated and manifold work of this Union. But as I am addressing myself to the Jews of America, the country of rational thought and action, I will attempt to give a survey in rough outline.
“We German Jews have possessed equality rights since 1869. In practice however, there have been and are now cases where German Jews, because of their Jewish faith, are exposed to insult and harm. In order to investigate the sources from which this hatred orginates it is necessary to observe the political life in Germany, to study the newspapers and periodicals, to visit the political meetings, to be able to effectively counteract conclusions which are based on pseudo-scientific studies. A large staff of cooperators in Berlin and in the entire country are engaged in this work. The results of their work are incorporated in our archive.
“In addition to this there is legal work. We are compelled to afford legal assistance to our members whenever their rights are offended. Juridical opinions are worked out, political cases are conducted, which are important not only to our members but to the Jews even outside Germany as far as questions of principle are concerned.
“As far as political matters are concerned, we are entirely neutral. This is why there are among our members people who belong to every conceivable party in Germany except, of course those whose program is anti-Semitic. Our attitude towards the various groups in Jewish public life is the same. Liberals and Orthodox work hand in hand. In the beginning of our movement even Zionists joined our organization, but the original philanthropic tendency of Zionism changed gradually into a political one. we were compelled, in 1913 to declare that no one belongs to our ranks who considers himself merely a guest in Germany.
“Our program of enlightenment extends into two directions: First of all, we attempt to inform our members, to make them familiar with our ideas, to interest them in our fight. Secondly, we attempt to enlighten those Christian circles which are ready to support us. Speakers of all parties and faiths, speakers belonging to every conceivable professional group, address our members and public meetings, in order to refute attacks against us, in order to explain the fundamental ideas of Judaism. We organize many debates before Christian forums for lawyers, professors, physicians, state officials as well as working men, in which Jewish questions are debated dispassionately. Not only do we try to inform our members with regard to our activities, but we make it our task to increase interest in Judaism and to fight against indifference. Our work, which is primarily directed to safeguard our rights. must necessarily increase in Jewish content. Whoever wants to fight for Judaism must also love our Jewry.
“Our literature aims at the same purpose. Our weekly paper has a circulation of 60,000. A monthly edition, which contains the most important articles of the weekly issues, is distributed among our Christian fellow-citizens. At present 35,000 copies are distributed among Christians and we hope to increase this number soon to hundreds of thousands. We hope to reach the time when there will not be a family in Germany in which our paper will not be read.
“It is not enough to discuss burning questions in newspaper articles. It is necessary also to treat such subjects scientifically. This is why we are engaged in the publication of books and leaflets. The books which have appeared in large numbers in the last years, were issued by the Philo Publishing firm, which is close to us. This firm also publishes the semi-monthly, “Der Morgen,” which deals mainly with religious, cultural and philosophic problems and is recognized as a periodical of high spiritual value. All these publications are made-accessible also to Christian circles.
For the youth there is the journal “Von deutsch-juedischer Jugend” which has a circulation of 65,000. A number of other literary publications are intended for the near future. We are also intersted in the project of producing a film, which will have as its contents the historical development of German Jewry. The publication of a historical periodical will have the same purpose. The projected new edition of the German Criminal Law book places before us an important task. Our special attention is directed to the threatened prohibition of the Schechits.
“First of all, however, we must organize all German Jews for the fight against Jew-hatred, to imbue them with knowledge which will enable them to resist their adversaries, to impart to them a knowledge of their proud past, as well as of the German sofl, and to continue our campaign of enlightenment among Jews and non-Jews.
“I do not wish to conclude this interview without mentioning those who have been the ploneers and leaders in this movement. Our great leaders were Maxmillian Horowitz (died 1917) and Eugene Fuchs (died 1923).
“Their inheritance fell upon the shoulders of Dr. Geiger. lawyer of Frankfurt an Main; Ernst Wallach, banker, of Berlin: Justizrat Hugo Sonnenfeld of Berlin, who died recently, the antiring fighter, our director. Dr. Ludwig Hollaender who is in charge of the management of our Association.
“Let me also mention among our late leaders Dr. Hirsch Hildesheimer, Town Councillor Kalisch. Professor Blaschke. Dr. Paul Nathan. Osear Bertin, Justiarat Leopold Dorn, Gehelm?an Blumenthal, the father of Geheimrat Fendin##d Blumenthal who actively participates in our work. I quote the na?es from memory, as they co## to me.
“Of those who are at present members of our Board and take a prominent part in our work. I wish to mention. from memory the well-known Julius Ba? Rabbi Dr. Leo Baeck. Chefredakteur Georg Bernhard, Redakteur Fritz Engel, Dr. Ismar Freund, Sanitatesrate Dr. Alfred Goldschmidt, Geschaeftsinhaber of the Darmstaedter and National Bank, Jacob Goldschmirt, Dr. Meier Hildesheimer, Director of the Dresden Bank. Wilhelm Kleeman, Moritz A. Loeb, University Professor Dr. Nussbaum, University Professor Dr. Neuberg. Intendant Professor Dr. Jessner, Geheimrat Professor Dr. Strauss and Geheimrat Otto Wiesenthal.
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.
