PLIGHT OF JEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1934, Page 8

PLIGHT OF JEWS

CONDITIONS IN GERMANY TREATED AS OUTCASTS. FUTURE IN PALESTINE. An inspiring address by Dr. Benzion Shein, envoy of the World Zionist Organisation, was listened to by an audience that filled the Auckland Town Hall and represented every section of the community. Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie presided. In spite of their outstanding contributions to science and art, darkness had never been so complete as it was for the Jews in Germany at the present time, stated Dr. Shein. Many of the greatest personalities in Germany had been Jews and they had been responsible for momentous discoveries in medicine and the other sciences and for incomparable contributions to art, music and literature. During the war Jews in great numbers had fought for their country. Yet, in spite of all this, the Jew in Germany to-day found himself an outcast, subjected to the most horrible brutalities. The persecution of the Jews in Germany had been excused by the Nazis on two grounds. The first was that the Polish Jews had invaded the country, and the other that the Jews generally were Communists. Dr. Shein pointed out that the Jewish youths of Poland had been forcibly transported to the Ruhr coalmines and kept there after the war, and that there were fewer Jewish Communists than in . other sections of the community. The real reason was the desire to find a scapegoat for the depressed conditions in Germany after the war.’ Turning to the other side of the picture Dr. Shein described the conditions in Palestine, which was the only possible refuge for hs unfortunate compatriots. He told the story of the reception that awaited the refugees in that country and outlined the natural resources that made settlement in Palestine possible. The rapidly-increasing output of the best oranges in the world made it easy for a family to live on a small area. More and more land was capable of being settled, and for the manufacturing industries there were the fine power facilities that resulted from the Rutengerg scheme of harnessing the waters of the Jordan and the Yarmuk. Haifa was destined to become a great city. Palestine was a small country, concluded Dr. Shein, but one that had played a gj;eat part in the history of mankind. He looked forward to the day when, once again, there would come from that small country a message of peace that would spell the beginning of happier times for the whole of suffering humanity. On the motion of Professor R. M. Algie and Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, both of whom stated how deeply impressed they had been with the message of Dr. Shein, a vote of thanks was carried with acclamation. An interesting feature of the meeting was the playing on the organ for the first time in Auckland of the impressive Hebrew anthem Haktivoh, during which the audience stood.