Relief Groups of Europe Plan Early Parley
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Relief Groups of Europe Plan Early Parley

Urgent need of reorganizing relief work on behalf of Jewish migrants has moved the JEAS, Polish Jewish emigration society, to call an all-European conference to discuss the problem.

The conference is to be held not later than January, 1935. Various economic groups, such as cooperatives and trade and artisans’ associations, are participating in the preliminary preparations.

The importance of a gathering such as the JEAS plans was stressed at a press conference here by Dr. W. Latzki-Bartholdi, prominent communal worker, who described the problems of immigrant relief work in European countries, especially since the reorganization of the HICEM. Dr. Latzki-Bartholdi declared that this immigrant aid group, which originally consisted of the HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), the ICA (Jewish Colonization Association) and the Emigdirekt is now continuing without the participation of the latter organization.


Reviewing the founding of the HICEM eight years ago, Dr. Latzki-Bartholdi said it had done much creditable work despite the fact that it has not completely fulfilled its three original aims: democratization of Jewish immigrant aid work; personalizing of such work and making it more Jewish, and renewal of colonization work. Among its achievements Dr. Latzki-Bartholdi mentioned the aid given to immigrants to the United States when the quota laws were enacted and that are now being given refugees from Germany.

Because the Emigdirekt, which was to be the representative East European group in HICEM, was unable to raise the necessary means and following, it has dropped out of the HICEM, Dr. Latzki-Bartholdi indicated. At the same time he stressed the point that “although the Emigdirekt has died, the social factor which it was intended to represent is completely vital, and the present situation makes an all-European conference of the greatest importance.”

Isaac L. Aspofsky, general manager of the HIAS, confirmed at its New York office that the HICEM had been reorganized. Recent negotiations in Paris resulted in the inclusion in HICEM of the ICA, the HIAS and representatives from every European country where there are Jewish immigrant aid committees. The Emigdirekt was dissolved because it no longer was serving the purpose for which it was originally established, Mr. Aspofsky said.