5
THE. JEWISH CHRONICLE
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a
Jewish Pre-Congress Conference
Under Way
DELEGATES REPRESENT-
ING ONE MILLION JEWS
ASSEMBLE AT PHILA-
DELPHIA
From Our Philadelphia Cor-
respondent.)
i7 delegates, representing 1,-
•, )0 Jewish organizations, have
come from 28 different states of
the Union to Philadelphia to lay
definite plans fOr . the coining
Jewish Congress.
Never in the history of Amer-
ican Jewry have so many rep-
resentative men of our faith
been gathered together at any
one place. Never before has so
much talent, knowledge, brains
and eloquence been assembled to•
gether. The Philadelphia Con-
ference is, indeed, an epoch in
Jewish history.
The - Conference was opened
amidst scenes of unrivalled en-
thusiasm, which begger descrip-
tion. And as the speakers suc-
cessively poured forth their souls
in 4- ► 1tioursts of genuine elo-
quence, the as shook with the
deafening applause which greet-
ed their remarks.
And yet all was dignity and
decorum. The opening meeting
of the . Conference branded as a
falsehood the statements of those
who tktilated that the Jewish
Conference would be the riot-
ous assembly of a motley throng.
The deliberations of the Confer-
ence proved conclusively, once
for all, that Jews were capable
of conducting their assemblies
in a• quiet and dignified manner.
A great number of the dele-
gates seek to have the Palestine
question thoroughly debated and
decided. They favor the asser-
tion of the Zionistic principle.
The Zionists, however, hold a
more rystrve.41 opinion. They do.
nut want a Zionist victory at this
ct ► nvention, though they are
agreeable that the national rights
of the Jews shall be discussed at
the Congress. Their attitude of
reserve is built out of a desire
not to permit the Conference to
usurp any of the functions of the
Congress. Whether they will be
able to carry out this policy . still
remains to be seen.
On the question of the date of
the Congress the debates mani-
fested a difference of opinion.
The impatient want it within
three months ; the others are will-
ing to let the Executive Commit-
tee settle it.
The first official act confront-
ing the assembly was the choos-
ing of an honorary president.
No sooner was this motion Made
when Professor Isaac Hurwich
Jumped to his feet, and protested
against the choosing of an hon-
orary president by an assembly
called for purposes of 'grave busi-
ness. Some were inclined to
agree with him, but when Dr..
Stephen S. Wise arose and de-
clared that the motion was made
for the purpose of honoring the
prime mover of the Congress
idea, whom obvious reasons kept
from participating in the work of
the Conference, "our Louis D.
Brandeis," all of the delegates
Nvith one accord voted for the
election of Mr.. Brandeis to the
office of Honorary President.
Judge Hugo Pam of Chicago,
was elected to the position of
temporary chairman without any
°position. Judge .Pam took the
chair and in a • few well chosen
words called the attention of the
delegates to the significance of
the Conference, and to the pro-
grain of work which was before
it,.
•
A hot battle will be staged on
the 'issue of Permanent Chair-
man. The respective candidates
arc Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and
Judge Leon Sanders, Supreme
I lead of the Order of B'rith Ab-
raham. Rabbi Wise has the ac-
tive indorsement of all of the
Zionists and independent dele-
gates, while Judge Sanders is
supported by the 'great organiza-
tion of which he is the president,
as well as by the more conserva-
tive element among the dele-
gates.
A tentative outline of the work
for the Congress adopted by the
Conference provides that it con-
sider obtaining for the Jews:
"Full and equal rights, civil,
political and religious, in all such
countries where these rights arc
now denied.
"National rights in such lands
where national rights arc or
ought to be recognized. •
"Development of Palestine in
all of its phases,
"The advisability of establish-
ing a Congress as a permanent
,institution.
"Creating a C0111111iSS1011 which
shall submit the deliberations of
the Congress the Peace Con-
ference.
•
"Constructive relief in lands
affected by the war.
"Jewish emigration in all its
aspects.
"Financial responsibility which
the Congress movement may
create."
The Detroit delegation, head-
ed by Rabbi A. M. I lershman, ar-
rived early upon the scene, and
is taking a leading and aggres-
sive part in the deliberations of
the Conference. Detroit is rep-
resented by the following men:
Rabbi' A. M. Hershman, Jacob
Miller, M. Goldman, H. Chage.
Mr. D. W. Simons, who was
elected as a delegate, has found
it impossible to attend for busi-
ness reasons.
Fully 50 per cent of the Jews
of Chicago are unaffiliated re-
ligiously. Almost 70,000 of them
do not belong to any congrega-
tion., ,
The betrothal of Rabbi Edgar
Magnin, associate minister of
Rabbi Hecht of Los Angeles, to
Miss Evelyn Rosenthal of Cin-
cinnati has been announced.
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LEIDICH
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BEHRMAN
316 HASTINGS STREET
OPPOSITE ADAMS
NEAR GRATIOT
cA Modern David
The youngest soldier in the Bri-
tish and Colonial armies, accord-
ing to the London Jewish' Chron-
icle, is Reuben Ginsberg, who•has
just 'become Barmitzvah.
Fifteen months ago the boy was
ill school at Montreid. When his
father joined the first Canadian
contingent and was about to leave
for England, Reuben, who is a
devoted son, determined that he
should not go alone. The father,
Statf.Sergt. Ginsberg, is an old
soldier, having served in Africa,
Egypt and the Sudan. Reuben
having saved up a few dollars, ex-
pended this on his fare to Halifax,
and there stowed himself away on
the vessel in which his father was
to be transported to England.
Then, in mid ocean, the child pre-
sented himself and begged so hard
to accompany his father that he
was enlisted there and then as
trumpeter and regimental mascot.
Reuben soon became an expert
trumpeter, and after a course of
training at Salisbury Plain, his
father's battery—to which Reub-
en was attached—was ordered to
the front.
When Lord Kitchener review-
ed the troops previous to their de-
parture for the front, Reuben was
brought before him, and after the
usual catechism, permission was
granted to Reuben to go to the
front. The sturdy, bright lad,
evidently' made an impression up-
on the veteran campaigner, for as
he turned away he was heard to
remark to his aide-de-camp—
"That's blood for you."
At the front Reuben became the
pet of the battery, for lie endured
hardships and privations in the
right spirit, and did his duty like
-
a soldier and a Jew. On'a horse
and a motorcycle alike he was at
home, and he often carried mes-
sages, learning how to rough it
with the best of the brave Cana&
ian lads. At length he was
wounded by sharpncl at Ypres
while riding his motorcycle. He
was . brought to Shorncliffe, and
there he was "discovered" by As-
sitant Chaplain Rev. It Schandel
when he recently visited that dis-
trict. He found that Reuben
would soon become Barmitzvah,
and arranged for the ceremony to
take place. The Barmitzvah wore
the talks which he always put on
under his tunic before going into
action, and it bore the traces of
battle upon it. Among the few
presents the gallant lad received
was an embroidered tephillin bag
with his regimental emblems..
The young soldier is a grand-
son of Rabbi Samuel Salant, the
famous Rav of the Ashkenazi
Congregation in• Jerusalem.
The adjutant general to the
British army in the field has
written the senior Jewish chap-
lain that he will be glad to con-
sider the request of any Jewish
soldier who in the ordinary
course would be entitled to
leave of absence during March
or April, who might want to ob-
serve the Jewish Passover, by
allowing him to select the Pass-
over days for the same.
BARON'S
Dry Goods and Clothing
The right goods
at the right price
671-673 Hastings St., Cori Livingstone,