Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 53

period, with slight variations from year to year. There was a small decline during the previous Congress period due to the very great efforts made at the time for the Keren Hayesod and the Keren Kayemeth drives. South African Zionists realised, however, that the number of their shekel-payers must not decline, and they therefore made great efforts once more and raised the total figure to about 25,700 instead of 20,000 for the 18th Congress period. South African Zionists have thus regained their place in the order of precedence in the shekel statistics. 27. Switzerland, Egypt, Brasil and Chile. It is a matter of great regret that the Zionists in these countries, although possessing a comparatively large Jewish population, have not yet made sufficiently strong efforts to increase the number of their shekelpayers for the two years so as to entitle them to the election of two delegates. Without any extraordinary efforts each one of these countries could have sold about 2,500 shekolim per year. It is to be hoped that the exemplary results obtained this year in many countries will serve as an impetus also for the countries enumerated above. 28. Transylvania. A change for the better occurred in the total results obtained in Transylvania, 17,000 in 5694/5 against 10,000 in 5692/3. 29. Tunis and Morocco. Whereas a great improvement is to be noticed in the majority of countries, this is not the case in countries with Sephardic Jewish communities, such as, for example, Tunis and Morocco. It is to be deplored that our Sephardic brethren do not display better understanding of the importance and value of the shekel. Tunis, which sold sufficient shekolim to have one delegate to the 18th Congress, has only sold about 700 shekolim during the present Congress period and has thus forfeited its-right to elect a delegate on the strength of its own shekolim. 30. Zionists of Scandinavia, Denmark and Sweden took a lively interest in this year's shekel work. It is to be regretted that Siberia and Australia, who, in previous Congresses, had their own delegates, will this year be absent from the list. C.—PRESS, PUBLICATIONS AND PROPAGANDA. I.—Press. Haolam.—Our Hebrew official organ has continued under the editorship of Mr. M. Kleinman, with the collaboration of Dr. Nahum Sokolow. It is the leading Hebrew literary newspaper in the world, and has a circulation extending to nearly fifty countries. The New Judaea.—Our English official organ, which appears as a monthly under the editorship of Mr. J. Hodess, continues to supply an important need as a medium for the communication of news and views on all aspects of the Zionist movement in English- 53