Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 207

1. Zionist Groups and Societies. The following groups exist in Heising fors : Agudath-Zion, "Hatechijah" (a Young Zionist Society), WIZO, Mizrachi, Revisionists and Betar, and Maccabia sports society. In Viborg are the following : Agudath-Zion, " Hazair " (a youth society), and WIZO. In Abo : Agudath-Zion, " Kadimah " (a youth society), WIZO and Maccabi. With the exception of the Revisionist groups, all other Zionist societies are working in harmonious co-operation, and take part in the Annual Conference where a Central Committee is elected. 2. Propaganda. During the period under review propaganda meetings were held in all towns, addressed by the members of the Central Committee, by the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Federbush, and by the following : Mrs. Pevsner, the delegate of the K.K.L., Mr. Shapiro, Mr. Zuckerman, delegate of the Keren Hayesod, Mrs. Warburg, on behalf of youth organisations from Germany, Mr. Leviatan, on behalf of the Maccabi, and others. Since the Revisionists formed a group in Helsingfors they have indulged in both written and spoken propaganda against the Zionist Funds. Consequently the Central Committee published a manifesto in Yiddish, Finnish and Swedish in which the value of the Zionist National Funds is explained and the allegations made against them repudiated. On the whole there is no organised anti-Zionist body in Finland, and all sections of Jewry participate in all Zionist undertakings. The Central Council of Jewish Communities in Finland adopted the Zionist programme as one of its main planks. Despite the secession of the Revisionists, the number of Shekel-payers has been maintained. 3. Tarbuth. The Zionists are also very active in various cultural activities in the country. The Chairman of the Central Committee, Mr. Nemeshansky, acts also as Chairman of the Committee of the Hebrew-Swedish elementary and secondary school established by the Helsingfors Jewish community, where Jewish studies are conducted in Hebrew by three teachers. Attached to the day school there are also evening classes for the study of Hebrew. There also exists a Hebrew Club for old pupils of the school, which organises conversaziones and lectures in Hebrew and also other Hebrew functions. Memorial meetings were held for Bialik and Baron de Rothschild. The Central Committee of the Jewish Youth Association in Finland is now publishing a monthly journal in Swedish named Hatikvah. The aim of this monthly is to propagate Zionism and the importance of the Hebrew language. The Jewish Academic Club in Helsingfors is conducting cultural activities among the Jewish students. The Jewish Club has undertaken to 207