REPORT of the Executive Committee for the Period: January, 1932, to June 30Th, 1933
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The South African Jewish Board of Deputies JL REPORT of the Executive Committee for the period: January, 1932, to June 30th, 1933. To be submitted to the Tenth Congress, Durban, August 6th and 7th, 1933. H. W. Vorenberg ÇJ Co. (Pty.), Ltd., 8, New Street South, Johannesburg. American J«»i$h Cemmlttea LIBRARY 1 South African Jewish Board of Deputies. Report of the Executive Committee for the period: January, 1932, to June 30th, 1933. To be submitted to the Tenth Congress, Durban, August 6th and 7th, 1933. INTRODUCTION. The Executive Committee has the honour to submit to the Tenth Congress of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies this report of the Board's activities for the period, January, 1932, to June 30th, 193 3, throughout which the Executive h^s used its best endeavours to s^feg^srd the interests and preserve the status and prestige of South African Jewry. In common with Jewish Communities the world over, the South African Jewish community, in the period under review, has suffered from the severe economic depression, which unfortunately had repercussions affecting the general life of the community as a whole. The great Jewish tragedy now being enacted in Germany has caused South African Jewry great grief and distress. The fervent hopes entertained that saner counsels would prevail and that the black nightmare of sorrow would be removed from our people has unfortunately not been realised. World Jewry is now faced with a problem full of complexities unprecedented in modem times. The Board has now reached its majority. This Tenth Congress is meeting on the twenty-first anniversary of the inaugural Congress, which created the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. This historic occasion would have been fittingly celebrated ere now were it not for the emotional reactions prevailing in our midst consequent on the deplorable position of our people in Germany. It is hoped fittingly to celebrate this important event in the Jewish history of South Africa during the current year. Limitation of space prevents a detailed report of all the activities of the Board in the period under review, but some of the principal matters oi public interest which have occupied your Executive Committee's time and attention are here dealt with. MEMBERSHIP. There has been a steady increase in the number of Constituent Bodies. At the Ninth Congress the total stood at 142, an increase of six above the 2 number of Constituents at the Eighth Congress. The number is now 149, and includes all the important Jewish organisations in South Africa. There are 82 Constituent Bodies in the Transvaal (47 of which are in Johannes- burg), 39 in the Cape Province, 19 in the Orange Free State, seven in Natal, and two in Rhodesia. The names of all the Constituent Bodies of the Board are contained in a Schedule attached to this Report. FINANCE. Throughout the entire period under review your Executive Committee has been greatly hampered in its work by lack of funds, and much of its time has been occupied in exploring possible avenues of revenue to meet the expenditure of the Board. Your Executive could ill afford the time thus spent, and it would have been saved much embarrassment and loss of dignity if South African Jewry realised its financial responsibilities to its representative Institution. The expenditure of £ 1,608 13s. 8d. for the 19 months, as shown on the audited Balance Sheet herewith, includes about £70 for non- recurring items, such as Jewish Emplojrment Bureau- £34 7s. (interest on the £300 overdraft of the former Bureau Account), £17 10s. Proselytism Commission Expenses etc., leaving a net expenditure of £1,540, making an annual expenditure of under £1,000, which includes the expenditure of the Capetown Immigration Office. The £358 5s, 7d. shown in the Balance Sheet as surplus of revenue over expenditure is not a reflection of the true state of affairs, this position having been only brought about by a special collection made towards the close of the period covered by the Balance Sheet, by your President, as an emergency measure. If the extraordinary revenue of £646 17s., shown in the Balance Sheet, is deducted the Revenue and Expenditure Account would show a deficit of £288 lis. 5d. for the period under review instead of the surplus mentioned, which, together with the debit balance of £146 16s. 3d. brought down from the previous period, would reflect a total shortage of £435 7s. 8d, The Balance Sheet also disclosed an unprecedented amount of £970 14s, 6d. owing to the Board by Constituent Bodies for membership fees. Whilst your Executive realises the difficult times through which all have passed during the period under review, it makes an earnest appeal to the Constituent Bodies, who are indebted to the Board to make a real effort to pay off accumulated arrears. JEWRY IN GERMANY. Ever since the acute persecution of the Jews in Germany began, your Executive has been in frequent session dealing with developments from time to time as they arose, and at one time sat practically in daily conference. At 3 the very outset the Executive realised the vital importance of united action on the part of world Jewry in this German-Jewish crisis, and immediately ־put itself into cable communication with the representative Jewish Organisa tions in England and America, with the two-fold purpose of obtaining reliable and authoritative information and securing unity of action. At the outset, it was decided to delay the holding of public protest meetings, a policy adopted by the Jewish Board of Deputies in London and the American Jewish Committee in New York, both of whom strongly deprecated precipitate action. Although there was a constant demand from all over South Africa for information, and numerous requests were made for the holding of public protest meetings, your Executive Committee did its best to supply the former, and used its influence to allay public feeling. For the information of the public it was decided, on the 28th March, to issue the following Statement and Resolution to the general and Jewish Press in South Africa:— " The South African Jewish Board of Deputies is keeping in con- stant touch with the effect of recent happenings in Germany upon the position of German Jewry. The Executive Committee is holding frequent meetings to watch and consider every development in the situation. At its last meeting, held yesterday, the following resolution was passed:—- " The South African Jewish Board of Deputies, representing South African Jewry, joins in the world-wide expression of sympathy with German Jewry in their grave situation, and emphatically protests against the deplorable excesses perpetrated upon them due to unbridled, anti- Semitic propaganda. The Board further protests against repressive and discriminatory acts threatening the rights and livelihood of German Jewry, and fervently hopes that before the damage done is irreparable saner counsels will prevail and that justice will speedily triumph." Letters to the same effect, and in discouragement of precipitate and individual action, were sent to Jewish communities. At a fully attended meeting of the Deputies held on Tuesday, April 4th, the President made a statement dealing fully with the developments of the situation. The meeting unanimously agreed to leave the matter in the hands of the Executive, who were in close and constant touch with the position, to take whatever public action it would consider best and most effective. A comprehensive memorandum, entitled " South African Jewry and Germany," dealing fully with the position, and explaining the Board's attitude, was also issued by the Executive Committee on April 10th. 4 At a special meeting of the Executive held on April 27th, it was resolved that the time had arrived for a public expression of opinion on the German situation. The Executive had been informed that there was a large and influential number of non-Jews who were desirous of publicly expressing their sympathy with the Jewish victims of the Nazi repressive measures. The Executive then associated itself with a requisition to the Mayor of Johan- nesburg for the convening of a citizens' meeting for the purpose of voicing their views on the German situation. Subsequent events fully justified the policy of the Executive in the restraint exercised by it at a time when the emotions of the Jewish people were almost beyond control. At the historic public mass meeting of the citizens of Johannesburg, convened by the Mayor of Johannesburg, and held at the City Hall, on Monday, May 8th, at which over six thousand people attended, eloquent and forceful speeches were made by Mr. M. Kentridge, M.P. ; The Ven. Archdeacon, R. A. H. Urquhart; Rev. W. O'Meara; Mr. Hirsch Hillman; Prof. Haarhoff; Adv. O. D. Schreiner; Prof. J. Y. T. Greig; Chief Rabbi, Dr. J. L. Landau, and messages were received from the Bishop of Johannesburg; Very Rev. D. O. Leary, Bishop of Roman Catholic Church on Witwatersrand; Mr. H. R. Raikes, Principal, Witwatersrand University; Sir Robert Kotze, M.P. ; Col. C. F. Stallard, M.P.; Mr. R. H. Henderson, C.M.G., M.P. ; Adv. Bertha Solomon, M.P.C. ; the Mayor of Pretoria and the East London and Bulawayo Hebrew Congregations. Similar public meetings were also held in Capetown and Port Elizabeth, which were addressed by prominent citizens representing all sections of the people; The Jewish Community of Durban also held a public protest meeting. A large number of letters have recently been received from the J-iilfsverein der Deutschen Juden and from individuals in Germany making enquiries with regard to prospects of employment and settlement in South Africa. The Executive found it impossible to deal with these letters, which were handed over for attention to the Central Council of the South African Fund for German Jewry, on which the Board is officially represented by its President, Vice-President and Treasurer.