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The Southern Israelite Page 3 Is America Ready for the Jewish Agency: The press has been so full of affir mations of support for the organiza tion which is to be known as the Jew ish Agency that it may appear to soni e as either sensational or ill-in- formed to ask whether America is ready for the Jewish Agency. Those, however, who are not content with surface indications but who insist on knowing whether there is any real hope for the millions of dollars with which the Jewish Agency is to func tion, will probe deeper. It is possible that American Jewry is really united, and that Zionists and non-Zionists are prepared to join hands in one organi zation that will speed the rebuilding of Palestine. On the other hand, there are many, both among Zionists and non-Zionists, who feel that the future of Palestine is not as rosy as pub licity material and optimists would have the Jews of America believe. A startling comment on the status of the sentiment among non-Zionists toward the Jewish Agency was made at the biennial conclave of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Or rather, the comment was striking because it was absent. Not a single official word with regard to the Jew ish Agency was said by the group which is presumed to be the other partner in the Jewish Agency. peeling that this occurence was of more than passing interest in a matter as vital to the future of American Jewry and of Palestine as the Jewish Agency, this writer interviewed a number of prominent Zionist leaders, and then took their comments to seve ral non-Zionist laymen. It is obvious ly impossible to arrive at a general conclusion from the statements made by these various interested parties, but a report of their conversations will undoubtedly prove illuminating. One Zionist, who is a member of the Administrative Committee of the Zion ist Organization, and who has been known for the past five years as a staunch advocate of Dr. Weizmann’s proposal for the extension of the Jew- i'h Agency, characterized it as ab surd to expect the Union of Ameri can Hebrew Congregations to pass " resolution favoring the Jewish Agency. He pointed out that in years past this body has never been con- ent unless it has issued proclamations enouncing Zionism. He declared that he silence of the Convention on the ubject of Palestine was actually a matter for congratulation, but ex pressed the hope that as the years K'> on the Union may some day actu ally see the viewpoint of the Zionist. It is absurd to ask the non-Zionists t'i endorse the Zionist program fully. they agreed with us entirely, there *°uW.be no need to call these people ^ ’ ’Zionists, and there would be no mrpose in vesting control of Jewish alestine in the Jewish Agency rath- r than in the World Zionist Organi- ation. The aim of the Zionist ad- i-nistration has been to get as many r- ionists as possible into contact Palestine. A closer inspection y* at is being done for world Jewry fur Palestinian Jewry will give , hem a sympathetic attitude to the J ! omst Program. Only in that gradu- *ay can we hope to win the non- ' onists ov er. The Jewish Agency, By ROBERT STONE Ate American Jew# unanimously behind the proposal to unite Zionists and non-Zionists for the rebuilding of Palestine? Although Mr. Stone, as the ) esult of a number of interviews, does not answer the question cate gorically, he quotes enough opinions to show a divergence of views. This, article is a great interest because of the important influence the Jewish Agency is expected to have on Jewish community life in general. The Editor. in my opinion, is the starting point for the greatest period of propagan da the Zionist movement has ever known. We now have the opportuni ty for a hearing which we never had before.” That not all Zionists share this point of view' was evident when I in terviewed another Zionist, who is not in the administration at the present time, though he is not with that group known to be dissatisfied with the American leadership. This man is known for his realistic outlook upon Zionist affairs. Although he is in favor of the principle of the Jewish Agency, and hopes to see united ef fort for the rebuilding of Palestine, it is his belief that America is not by any means ready for the Jewish Agen cy. He explained why in the follow ing fashion: “I think that the Zionists of Ameri ca are allowing themselves to be daz zled with a mirage. It is so obvious that there are not two partners to the Jewish Agency, but rather one partner and a fraction of another. The vast majority of Zionists welcome everybody in the task of rebuilding the Jewish Homeland. But to say that the non-Zionists, as at present constituted, are as eager to join the union as the Zionists are to establish it would be patently false. “Who are the non-Zionists, after all? In October, 1928, a conference was held in New York City, which was attended by a heterogeneous group of people. There were prob ably 350 people. I will not exagge rate, I believe, when I say that of these 350 at least 225 were Zionists or strongly attached to the Zionist program. The rest of the number were composed in large measure of prominent rabbis. There were ex tremely few outstanding non-Zionist laymen who were willing to join the Jewish Agency. “It is true that men like Louis Mar shall, Felix Warburg, Dr. I^ee K. Krankel and Lt. Governor Herbert II. Lehman of New York are sincerely and genuinely interested in advancing the Jewish Agency. But they do not seem to represent the reform Jewish element, which is, actually, the non- Zionist element. Not a word has been heard from Julius Rosenwald with regard to Palestine, though his admir ation for Ix)uis Marshall has been ex pressed on numerous occasions. Where are men like Ludwig Vogelstein, Rog er W. Straus, Adolph Ochs, and hun dreds of other men who represent the non-Zionist Jews in America, and without whom the Jewish Agency will surely be doomed? “The attitude of the non-Zionist ele ment was best demonstrated in San Francisco at the convention of the Union of American Hebrew Congrega tions. The reform rabbis who are Zionistically inclined seem not to have been present at all. Surely Louis Marshall, who is regarded as the heart and mind of reform American Jewry, at least, should have prevailed upon the Union to pass a resolution wel- Winter Tourists Build Synagogue At Miami Beach Miami, (J. T. A.).—The number of Jewish houses of worship in Miami has been increased to three with the dedication this week of a new syna gogue at Miami Beach, built by Jewish winter tourists. It will mainly be used by those who come to spend the months January, February and March at the beach. The synagogue, called Congrega tion Beth Jacob, was constructed at Collins Avenue and Fourth Street, Miami Beach, two blocks from the ocean. The seating capacity is 500. The construction involved an expense of $20,000, which was raised among the visitors to the resort. Six hund red and fifty contributions ranging from $5 to $1,000 made up the sum required. Louis Topkis of Wilmington, Dela ware, prominent in the Zionist move ment in America, was chairman of the building committee which handed over the synagogue to the community free of any mortgage. A record in construction was achiev ed in the completion of the work. The cornerstone was l^id on February 17th, while the dedication took place on Sunday, March 24th. A special gal lery for women was provided in the plans as the Congregation Beth Jacob determined upon the Orthodox ritual following some discussion in the com mittee. Some of the contributors, members of the committee, asked for the adoption of the Conservative rit ual. It was, however, pointed out that the majority of the 7,500 Jewish win ter tourists who come to spend the winter months at Miami are Orthodox, and range in age between 55 and 75. They come principally from New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and from the principal Canadian cities. Louis Topkis presided at the dedi cation exercises. coming the Jewish Agency—with re servations, if necessary. If the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, representing reform Jewry, is indif ferent to the Jewish Agency, who are the non-Zionists who are to join with the Zionists in the Jewish Agency? “The Zionists are likely to find that a few non-Zionists will constitute 50 per cent of the Jewish Agency, with asolutely no constituency behind them. There is no wonder that some Zionists experience trepidation at this prospect. People paying no taxes will have rep resentation of an enormously influ ential character. It is being freely said that Louis Marshall is not press ing the matter until the Jewish Agen cy is actually working, and that then he will go out personally to the non- Zionists and make an eloquent plea for their support of the Agency. It is my hope that these predictions may prove true. Otherwise, Zionists rely ing upon the aid of non-Zionists may relax their efforts somewhat, and danger will face Palestine.” There was no bitterness in the voice of the man who said the foregoing. He was calmly analytical. It is his high position in the Zionist movement which led him to request me to with hold his name from publication, since his views would undoubtedly influence hundreds of Zionists. He said that he was trying to make his hopes out weigh his fears. A non-Zionist who was present at the New York Jewish Agency Con ference expressed himself enthusiasti cally on the subject, declaring that as soon as the Agency would begin oper ating, and the personnel of the or ganization would change its present purely Zionist character, many non- Zionists who are at present abstain ing would join it quickly. But this view w r as rejected by another non- Zionist, who refused to have anything to do with the Jewish Agency. His viewpoint is: “Throughout the years I have been opposed to the nationalistic policy of the Zionists in Palestine. If it were a matter of furnishing funds for re lief work, or even for giving a chance to Jews settling in Palestine, I would be the first to help. But there can be no question but that what the Zionists ultimately aim at is a Jewish State in Palestine. With that view I can never agree, and I shall therefore abstain from the Jewish Agency, be lieving it to be extremely harmful to the position of the Jews in Ameri ca. I feel that I reflect the views of thousands of other American Jews in this question.” It is obvious that there is no un animity on the Jewish Agency. But whether the majority, which is always silent, is in favor of rebuilding Pales tine, or w’hether the Zionists, together with a few non-Zionists, w'ill have to continue to bear the burden, cannot be ascertained until after the Jewish Agency starts working next Novem ber. Copyright 1929 by Seven Arts Fea ture Syndicate.