Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 239

Lausanne, Lucerne and Zurich. The next Conference of Delegates will take place in the autumn of 1935. Visiting speakers who have addressed various local societies have included the following : Mr. Berl Locker, Mr. I. Gruenbaum, Prof. Dr. A. Fraenkel, Dr. O. Wolfsberg, Dr. J. Prinz, Dr. N. Goldmann, Dr. Alfred Klee, Ex-Minister Hans Goslar, Adolf Pollack, Kurt Blumenfeld, Rabbi Dr. Emil Cohn, Moses Waldmann and Dr. Hans Klee, as well as (in French Switzerland) Frl. Famry Weil and Mr. J. Fisher. Contact between the Central Committee and the individual societies was maintained particularly by Dr. Cohn, Dr. Newiasky and Dr. Scheps. It is gratifying to note that the smaller societies in particular have recently developed increased activity. Of the three Jewish newspapers published in Switzerland, Das Jüdische Heim is Zionistic and the Indische Pres se zentrale and the Israelitsches Wochenblatt are pro-Zionist. The Central Committee is in regular contact with these papers. The number of Shekolim sold in the year 5694 was 1258, while the number for the present year is not yet definitely known. The income of the Keren Kayemeth from July 1st, 1933 to June 30th, 1934, was Fes. 45,358, and from July 1st, 1934, to May 31st, 1935, Fes. 43,075. The income of the Keren Havesod in 1932-33 was Fes. 89,789, in 1933-34 Fes. 55,000, and in the'early part of 1935 Fes. 12,000. In the sphere of Hebrew work, there may be recorded a great interest on the part of large sections of the Jewish Community, particularly in the Brith Ivrith Society, Basle. Not only the youth but also the older generation are taking part in the Hebrew courses. The Central Committee has recently begun to undertake propaganda for the Keren Bialik. The Central Committee has tried to arouse an interest in the products of Palestine. Thanks to the efforts of the special department for this purpose, under the direction of Mr. M. Hack, we succeeded in disposing of ten wagons of oranges and also in bringing about a systematic increase in the import of oranges and grape-fruit from Palestine into Switzerland. The Central Committee is endeavouring to further this work by intensified propaganda. For some months Dr. Wohlman and Dr. Zucker in Zurich, with the approval of the Central Committee, have conducted negotiations with the respective authorities in order to intensify the economic relations of Switzerland with Palestine. These negotiations are still being carried on. A prominent place in the work of the Central Committee is occupied by the Palestine Office under the direction of Dr. Newiasky, which was opened in the Spring of 1935. This Palestine Office has now become one of the most important institutions in Jewish public life; not only is it its function to obtain certificates for Palestine for Chaluzim and others, but it 2 39