Prof. Georg Bernherd, German-Jewish refuges journalist, today urged support of the forthcoming World Jewish Congress to combat anti-Semitism throughout the world and, especially, to “examine the question whether the Jews everywhere and in all countries are sufficiently adapted to the tremendous economic and political transformations which have taken place throughout the world.” He expressed the hope that sections of Jewry not represented at present in the congress would come in later.
Almost simultaneously, James N. Rosenberg, attorney, reported “mounting opposition” to the congress in the United States. He said that Jewish individuals and organizations numbering more than 2,500 from more than 150 cities had sent telegrams and messages expressing opposition to the congress.
Dr. Bernhard, who arrived in the United States yesterday on the S.S. Paris, spoke at a luncheon of the American Jewish Congress administrative committee at the Hotel Biltmore. It was the first of a series of speaking engagements in behalf of the world congress which will culminate in his delivering the keynote address at the national electoral conference for the congress in Washington June 13 and 14. He will depart for Europe June 20 to attend the inter-governmental conference on refugees July 2 at Geneva.
Describing the plight of the Jews in several European countries, Dr. Bernhard said “there is nothing more timely and nothing more urgent than the final convocation of the World Jewish Congress.” He warned those who “do not believe that the racial anti-Semitic poison can spread from Germany over the entire world” that Hitler “wants to be the savior who will rescue the entire world from the ‘danger of the Jewish pestilence’.”
He added that the argument that the congress would bring the stigma of internationalism to the Jews came only from Jews, not from non-Jews
Judge Julian W. Mack, the only other speaker, said he was not as optimistic as Dr. Bernhard about the possibility of forces against the congress at an early date abandoning their opposition. Dr. Stephen S. Wise presided.
In an interview yesterday, Dr. Bernhard–who formerly was editor of the Ullstein newspapers in Germany and now edits the Pariser Tageblatt in Paris–emphasized the world congress as a means of Jewish self defence. He said it would have the duty of coordinating emigration facilities for Jews in European countries, adding that he thought a large number of Jews should leave Poland.
Voicing doubt whether British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden was correct in ascribing unrest in Palestine to Italian propaganda, Dr. Bernhard blamed the Nazis. He declared that Nazis were spreading anti-Jewish propaganda among susceptible Arabs, citing as an example that anti-Jewish proclamations issued to the Arabs were printed from matrixes manufactured in Berlin.
Mr. Rosenberg, in describing opposition to the world congress, said it would not be truly representative because of the opposition to it among Jews. He said that Judge Mitchell May, head of the Brooklyn division of the American Jewish Congress–the organization which is sponsoring the world congress movement in this country–had written to Dr. Wise saying he was withdrawing from all further activity in connection with the world congress.
Mr. Rosenberg declared that the messages in opposition to the congress had come from representatives of many sections of Jewish life–Zionist and non-Zionist–and included members of the American Jewish Congress. He cited the following organizations as among those opposing the world congress:
The American Jewish Committee, the Free Sons of Israel, the Jewish Labor Committee, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Order of United Hebrew Brothers, the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada and the Women’s League of the United Synagogue of America.
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.
