Page Sixteen

THE JEWISH NEWS•

Friday, December 11, t941

The Problems of Anti-Semitism in the
Post-War Period in the United States

Excerpfs-From Paper Presented at the Regional Execufi , ,e Meeting of the East
Certr d1
- States Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds, in Cleveland, Nov. 20, 1943

By HARRY L. LURIE, Executive Director, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds

HARRY L. LURIE

I

T IS GENERALLY
recognized that anti-Semitism and the
lack or uniformly satisfactory rela-
tions between Jews and other groups
in this country involve not only do-
mestic factors that are indigenous to
the United States, but also that our
problems have become aggravated
through the influence of organized
anti-Semitic developments abroad.
For this reason the effect of the
war upon anti-Semitism overseas and
upon our domestic problems requires
the most careful consideration in plan-
ting our defense programs.
- The world war in which we are en-
gaged Is not being fought over Jewish
issues. The appeasement of Nazi ag-
gression culminating in the Munich
Pact was not determined by a desire
on the part of the appeasers to amel-
iorate the conditions of the Jew or of
other tortured victims of German pol-
icy.
Anti-Semitism was a valuable wea-
pon which Nazism required to destroy
democracy in Germany and to dis-
organize the nations it hoped to con-
quer.
Victory will mean the defeat and
the submergence rather than the com-
plete destruction of the political
groups that have all but destroyed

the continent of Europe. We may hope
that the theories and practices of
Nazi racialism will be among the fac-
tors in the national life of our ene-
mies that will be found to be detest-
able by the United Nations and all
sufferers from German ruthlessness
and terror. We in this country who
are fighting against German and Jap-
anese fascism may also hope that we
will similarly reject the racial and
anti-Semitic theories along with the
other degenerate aspects of Nazism.
To the extent, however, that the is-
sues of the war remain obscure or
vaguely understood, and groups or
classes in this or other countries un-
der the influence of reactionary for-
ces remain dissatisfied with the con-
duct of the war or *with the domestic
policies associated with it, there is
the danger that vie -Wry in the armed
struggle will not bring it a corn-
plete elimination of" the domestic as-
pects of anti-Semitism or of the pO.,,
tency of overseas influence to intensi-
fy these disturbing , elements.:

Productive .Capacity

The war will have „a profound of
feet on our general .economic and po-
litical attitudes. 'Vile have plunged
into an overwhelming effort for war
production at the edge of a twelve-
year period of depression from which
we had been unable to emerge in
spite of determined efforts by govern-
ment and industry to restore prosperi-
ty. Then suddenly through the full
employment of our manpower and our
economic resources in the war effort
we discovered that we had a tre-
mendous productive capacity which
could increase the normal income-
producing ability of the country two-
fold as compared with the whole of
the last ten years. One full year of
war production is approximately three
times as great as the production of the
country in our lowest depression year.

Compiled From the Records of the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

SALONIKA—Practically all Jewish voters lioy-
cotted the polls during Sunday's elections because of
the government order settina up special polling
places for Jews. The Salonika b Jewish Community
Council had agreed to the proposal when the govern-
ment promised the Jews four instead of three seats in
Parliament, but aroused public opinion forced it to
withdraw its agreement and to resign.

WASHINGTON—The House Immigration Com-
mittee has decided to vote out a bill providing for a
two per cent quota based on the 1890 census. A ' strug-
gle by several Congressmen to have the quota in-
creased was unsuccessful.

JERUSALEM—King Hussein of the Hedjas has
left for Ammon to meet there with his two sons, Emir
Abdullah of Transjordan and King Feisal of Meso-
potamia to discuss plans for a Pan-Arab conference
which would aim at uniting the Arab people politi-
cally and economically.
MOSCOW — A bandit leader named Kuprenko,
who was an aide to the anti-Semitic terrorist Pet-
lura, was executed this week after being tried by a
district tribunal in Kiev. Witnesses described the
massacres of Jews which were carried out by Kup-
renko's bands. .
BERLIN—The complete innocence of Capt. Al-
fred Dreyfuss, French officer whose conviction on a
trumped-up charge of treason became a cause
celebre, is substantiated by state documents just
made public here. The papers are reports from the
German ambassador in Paris during the Dreyfuss
trial. The documents indicate that the Kaiser inter-
vened to prevent the German ambaSsador from pre-
senting the evidence he had concerning Dreyfuss'
innocence to the French cabinet.
LONDON—Influential circles intend to solve the
Palestine problem by the creation of an indepen-
dent goyernment under Emir Abdullah, the present
ruler of Transjordania, the Morning Post intimates.
According to that paper, the new Palestine Govern-
ment will have British aid, which will be depen-
dent on Abdullah's recognition of Zionist policies.
LONDON—The prominent Hungarian politician,
ex-Premier Friedrich, negotiated recently with
Henry Ford regarding the possibility of obtaining
financial support from the motor magnate for mon-
archist propaganda in Hungary, Austria and Bav-
aria. In return, Ford is said to have been promised
important industrial concessions when the mon-
archist plots were successful.

tion? Can there or should there be full
agreement among all Jews as to the
basic social and economic program re-
quired to remove discontent and ; po-
litical reaction?
The post-war period will be ac-
companied by efforts to adapt our
economic life to the needs of full
production. There will be problems of
foreign trade, of tariffs, of wage stan-
dards, of labor organizations, of gov-
ernment responsibility and private
enterprise inherent in these questions.
There will be solutions and programs
offered along reactionary, labor, so-
cialist, or other radical lines. There
will be confusion of insight and con-
fusion of purpose. Shall Jewish or-
ganizations remain passive? Shall we
continue,, if we act at all, to act in
isolation or shall we recognize that
we need to be brOught closer to other
American groups :working toward so-
lution of these problems in a progres-
sive and enlightened fashion?

Economic Insecurity a Threat

-

If the hopes for full economic se-
curity are not satisfied, there is fer-
tile soil for reactionary programs
which will -promise security with the
intention of gaining advantages for
some privileged or underprivileged
groups at the expense of the democra-
tic . process. The period of post-war
readjustment may threaten us with an
upsurge of reactionary elements :utiliz-
ing anti-Semitism as one of their most
dangerous weapons. It is important,
therefore, that the hopes and aspira-
tions of all classes shall be satisfied
by careful planning to solve our eco-
nomic *Problems as speedily as possi-
ble..,.'
It is possible within the local com-
munity to work on many fronts and
to develop a well integrated and care-
fully thought out program of. action
dealing not only with overt manifes-
tations, but going directly to the roots
of the problem with which we are
concerned.

Post-War Challenges
We. will need to orient ourselves for

new programs, new forms of organiza-
tion and• to many adjustments in our
social and economic life. What kind
of Jewish organization will fit the
needs of American life in the post-
war era? What do we need to do to-
achieve this organization? How shall
we shape our efforts so that in spite
of obstacles and difficulties we be-
come less vulnerable and more in-
tegrated in American life?
What can we do to lessen the feel--;
ings of suspicion, hostility and aliena-
tion with which the other elements in
the community consider the Jewish
group? How do we preserve our val-
ues, our dignity, and lay a ground-
work for further contributions as in-
dividuals and as a group to achieving
the American ideal of a dynamic dem-
ocratic people?
In short, how ready are we for the:
challenges of the post-war world?

Basic Questions

The questions for local community
action are basic questions. How do we
organize our community for effective
group relations? HOw much of this
requires efforts within the Jewish
group to promote participation in
general community affairs? Can Jews
as a group, or on the basis of being
Jewish determine the lines of action
needed to serve the basic interests of
democracy in a period of rapid evolu-

Leon Blum Colony Dedicated
on JNF Land in Palestine

Twenty Years Ago This Week

NEW YORK—Formation of an inter-collegiate re-
ligious welfare association for Jewish students at .
American colleges is expected to result from the or:-
ganization of the Hillel Foundation at the University
of Illinois this semester.

Our current earning power is in-
contestable proof that we are capable
of supplying a high standard of living
for all groups and classes in the popu-
lation. We may, therefore, anticipate
in the post-war period that many ele-
ments of our population—entrepre-
neurs, laborers, farmers, white collar
workers, and others—will not be sat-
isfied with less than full economic op-
portunities and full security.

Jewish Congress
Unit to Sponsor
Youth Essay Event

7,40 1/,` . 16 American-Chalutzim, 50 Refugees From Baltic Coun
tries and. Zionist Pioneers Comprise Colony
in Honor of EX-Premier

-

The world press paused on Armistice Day to recall the
life and achievements of 'Leon Blum, French Jewish Socialist
leader and former Premier of France, who is in a Nazi con-
centration camp, because news dispatches from Naame, Gali-
lee, gave details of the dedication on Nov. 10 of a new Jewish
agricultural colony in tribute to him.

War Bonds to Be Awarded
for Best Papers on Post-
War Subject

A nation wide essay event, to
- ,-end on March 15, is being spon-

.

sored by the education commit-
:tee of the Young Men's and Wom-
en's Division of the American
Jewish Congress, on the subject
of "What Youth Seeks in the
Postwar World." The first award
will be a $50 War Bond; the sec-
ond and third will be $25 Bonds.

The following are the board of
judges:

The above photograph shows a
part of the land set aside by the
Jewish National Fund as the site
for the Leon Blum Colony, where
the Kibbutz Anglo-Balti—a col-
lective comprised of 16 American
Chalutzim and 50 refugees from
the Baltic countries and Zionist
pioneers from England, Canada
and South Africa—were settled.
Photo to the left shows the
group of American Chalutzim
who were members of Habonim,
American Zionist Labor Youth
Organization, and received their
agricultural experience in the

He'Chalutz Training Farm at
Cream Ridge, New Jersey.
The colony came into existence
as a result of a movement initi-
ated by the Labor Department of
the Jewish National Fund in the
U. S. and the co-operation of the
American Federation of Labor
and numerous labor unions and
groups.
Leon Blum always has been
interested in the work of Pale-
stine's reconstruction.
The Jewish National Fund in
the land-redemption agency of
the world Zionist movement.

Dr. William Agar, acting presi-
dent of Freedom House; Dr. Mary
McLeod Bethune, president Emer-
itus, Bethune-Coekman College
and president of National Coun-
cil of Negro Women; Dr. Harry
J. Carman, dean of Columbia
College; Judge Nathan D. Perl-
man, vice-president, American
Jewish Congress, Justice of the
Court of Special Sessions of New
York; Mrs. Stephen S. Wise,
president of the Women's Divi-
sion, American Jewish Congress.

Essays are limited to 1,200
-'words and should be typewritten
or legibly handwritten on one
side of the paper, size 81/2x11.

In addition to its own mem-
bership throughout the country,
the Young Men's and Women's
Division invites every Negro,
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
youth organiation - to participate.
Manuscripts should be for-
warded to Nathan Zuckerman,
executive director of the Young
Men's and Women's Division of
the American Jewish Congress,
330 W. 42nd St., New York.