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THE
SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
A MAGAZINE PERPETUATING JEWISH IDEALS
VOLUME VIII.
August, 1933.
NUMBER 9.
The Zionist Congress in Session
A> this is written, the world Zionist Congress is nearing the end of
its first week of deliberations. Although much of the practical politi
cal work of the Congress still remains to be done, the sessions thus
far have made it clear that the Laborities are dominating the Congress
proceedings. After several days of wrangling, the Laborites finally
id their way when the Congress elected a presidium in which the
Revisionists are without presentation. This defeat of the extremists
resulted in the first stormy session and the Revisionists left the Con
gress hall, but it proved convincingly that the moderates will be the
controlling factor in the Congress. Thus far nothing has been said
about the return of Dr. Chaim Weizmann to the post of leadership
from which he was ousted by the extremists two years ago but this is
interpreted as meaning that he is the only logical candidate to head
the Zionist Organization in this hour of crisis and therefore there is
no need of making an issue of his candidacy. Meanwhile the Con-
sress has manifested its intention of considering the tragic plight of
the German Jews soberly and realistically. Contrary to other large
gatherings of Jews elsewhere in Europe and in America there have
been no hysterical outbursts nor any resorting to the methods of mass
I meetings. The Zionist Congress has held strictly to a policy of mak-
Img a serious and statesmanlike effort to do whatever is humanly pos
sible for the German Jews. These are good auguries for the success
f the Congress.
ami the Jewish Sabbath
The greatest obstacle to the observance of the Sabbath on the part
I t American Jews has always been economic pressure which forced
Ith<»m to sacrifice the Sabbath in order to earn a living. In an in-
I lust rial scheme providing for the six-day week in which Sunday was
II hr universal day of rest, few Jews could be found who were ready
|t«< endanger their livelihoods by Sabbath observance. For a great
I many years now Jews have been dreaming of a five-day week which
I would relieve Sabbath-observing Jews of an insuperable economic
I handicap. It is no wonder then that the Jewish Education Associa-
11ion hails the National Industrial Recovery Act with joy because it
I "ill make the five-day week a reality and thus restore the Jewish
jNtbbath as a great spiritual force among the Jewish masses. In
I calling upon American Jewry to utilize this new opportunity to make
" i<b* Sabbath observance possible, the Jewish Education Association
I renders a valuable service. Sabbath observance itselt is the “most
I important institution of the Jewish faith,” but it has a much wider
I implication in that its observance offers an unparalleled opportunity
r revive the Jewish atmosphere in Jewish homes, failure to keep
M ' Sabbath has deprived Jewish households of a spiritual quality of
utmost significance. The NRA will indirectly help to bring back
' necessary Jewish atmosphere and thus exert a mighty influence
Jewish life in America.
Mussolini on Palestine
Jniost at the very moment that speakers at the Zionist Congress
|" 'c calling on the world, the League of Nations and Great Britain
'pen the doors of Palestine to tens of thousands of Jewish refugees
! m Germany, II Popolo D’Italia, the personal organ of Premier
^ '*olini of Italy, came out in favor of the creation of a completely
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autonomous Jewish state in Palestine with a population of not less
than 8,000,000 Jews. Only a state of this kind can offer a permanent
solution to the Jewish problem, the Italian paper contends, pointing
out that Palestine, as it now exists, is neither fish nor fowl and docs
not satisfy either Jews or Arabs. Mussolini’s paper goes even fur
ther and urges that Palestine should have a Jewish government, army
and navy, with some provision being made for a speedy mass immi
gration of the Arabs out of the country in exchange for some kind of
compensation. Although II Popolo I)’Italia does not suggest how these
things are to be done, its recommendations are significant because of
their source. They may well he a trial balloon designed to test world
opinion. If that is favorable it is not beyond possibility that Italy
may formally urge such a program For Palestine before the League
of Nations. In any event the Revisionists should be cheered at re-
ceiving support for their program from such a highly-placed source.
An Apology Is Due
I he latest politician to seize upon the .lew as a convenient scape
goat. is Governor Ruby Laffoon, of Kentucky, who told a group of
business men that the state wide sentiment against his proposed sales-
tax bill had been inspired by “Jews from New York.” The obviously
unfounded and ridiculous charge by the chief executive of the state
that gave this country Louis D. Brandeis, is most unfortunate coming
at a time like this and should not he permitted to pass unnoticed.
Governor Laffoon, who has aroused great resentment throughout Ken
tucky among business interests because of his advocacy of the sales-
tax, found himself in a tight political corner, and in order to extri
cate himself sought to use tin* latent anti-Semitic prejudice of certain
elements of the population as the easiest way out. We are glad to
learn that the editor of the Louisville Chronicler-Spokesman, Jewish
weekly, has called upon the Governor to correct. If the Governor
was correctly quoted he should he gentleman enough to apologize and
admit his error.
A Monstrous Libel
“Jewish Press Muzzled” was the screaming headline that greeted
New Yorkers who happened to see the recent issue of “Front Page,”
a new sensational Daily paper, whose publishers are Jews. Many peo
ple who saw this screeching eight-column headline expected to read
that some Jewish papers had been discovered in the employ of Nazi
propagandists, or at the very least found guilty of minimizing the
Nazi pogrom. As a matter of fact the headline was a raw deception
because the column and a half of reading matter under it said not a
word about any Jewish paper being muzzled. It was merely an ig
norant hodge-podge of misinformation and ridiculous charges against
the entire Anglo-Jewish press of America. These charges of kowtow
ing to the rich, of padded circulation figures and preying on Jewish
pride have been made before and revealed as stupid, unfounded and
malignant. Under ordinary circumstances so cheap an assault on the
Anglo-Jewish press could be safely ignored but the monstrous charge
made against the Anglo-Jewish press by the headline over this journal
istic claptrap prompts us to demand from the editor of the “Front
Page” either an immediate apology for his unfounded accusation or
else a public statement of any information he may have that would
serve to bear out such a headline.