Poge Ten
THE JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, August ], 1958
The Jemsh people today
Mere suryival. insufficieht without significcmt contribution to world
By JUSTIHE WISE POLIER
Judge Poller is choirmon of the ekecuf-ive committee of the American Jewish Congress. This orticle is token from her oddress in the symposium on the nature and identity of the Jewish people at the recent convention of that organization. Judge Polier i is the daughter of the late Dr.
Stephen S. Wise.
^HE phrase "survival of the I freedom in the final analysis is in-Jewish people," even when divisible throughout the world, and preceded by the adjective "creaH tliat the Jfew as a member of a min-tive" has little meaning except as ority group is most likely to suffer we give it content. Survival wherever there is injustice, that is alone is too negative a concept j not a sound enough basis for our en-for the Jewish people to. accept j listment in the struggle for frecidom. as a goal. The question is, rather. By dint of our heritage, our faith, the whe^er the communities that j intuitive and all but instinctive reac-compose the Jewish people can tion of the Jew against' injustice or live in so vital a fashion as to j the violation of human dignity, we are make significant contrib\itions to committed to the battle for human the world that would not other- freedom—whether it is or is not good wise be made. -for the survival of the Jewish people.
Under the last of external oppres-1 » is therefore (roubUng to hear
sion and persecution, the Jewish community did more than merely survive. Because of its heritage and inner commitments it was able to produce not only great human beings but al- j so great ideas and ideals which have continued to challenge peoples of all races and faiths. To what extent this unique capacity was due to the Jewish people's religious and moral heritage and to what extent to the forces that drove Jewish communities to find positive values in the inner life rather than in the hostile world without, no one can say.
Jewish leaders occasionally jasfi-
fymg or, rationalising their own actions on behalf of ofhet minori-ties on:the ulterior ground that in the long ran **it will be good for Jews^. The corollary of such a premise is that if we thought fliis to be bad for Jews we would not con-cerh ourselves with justice for all men. Such a position betrays th6 highest aspirations of the Jewidi tradition.
We of the American Jewish Con-j gress are engaged in the battle for I civil rights as Jews and because we] are Jews. That this is so provides] one of the many reasons for the Jew to continue living as a Jew. So; long as he sustains the vital heritage that urges him to be among the first | to enlist in the struggle for justice,
(Continued on page 11)
If
Histddrut the colussus ol Israeli industry
BY SENATOR DAVID CROLL This article on the Histddrut/ by Canada's first Jewish Senator is reprinted from a special magazine .supplement on 'Israel's Tenth Anniversary, .published by the Toronto Globe and Moil earlier this year.
OUT of a vision of nationa redemption grew Histadrut, a democratic and successful federation of trade unions that has never lost sight of its basic prin-
'Oh i-always bring the baby to shul. The Rabbi's sermon just works wonders/'
One thing is clear, however. The ciples of non-exploitation, self-combination of the Jewish heritage, help and mutual aid.
its moral commitments and its faith prevented the Jewish community from surrendering to external enemies or disintegrating within. Likewise, the "very sufferings and tribulations to which Jews have been sub-
Histadrut, formed in 1920, more than 25 years before the founding of the state of Israel, is actually much more than a federation of trade unions. It is a mixture of labor, farmer, welfare, capitalism and some de-
jected ha\re made them sensitive riot ments that are not easily definable, only to the needs of their families it was never intended that Hista-and their fellow Jews but to injus- drut should serve only the immediate tices aimed at all human beings. In- interests of. the members. Its found-dmdual^ and group experiences of ers, and those who came after, creat-humiliation and pam have served to ed a new set of values to change the teinforce those teachings of Judaism life of an entire people; altered its that'seek to establish the dignity of social structure so as to give due rec-man and the practice of justice. ognition once more to productive INSTINCTIVE REACTION labor, and to the tie between men
TO PREIUDICB and soU. /
The Jewish contribution, therefore, | FOUR ELEMENTS IN WAGES in such areas as civil" liberties and civil rights cannot and should not be
based on ftie premise that Jewish survival is possible only where freedom aiid eiquality of rights are' ^ariled to all peoples. While I would agree that
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From its very inception, Histadrut established a basic philosophy from which it has never deviated. Wages are composed of four main elements the basic wag6, cost-of-living allowance, family fiUowance and seniority allowance. AJl wages are adjustec every three months to correspond with the changes in the official price index GoUective agreements regulate holiday and accident pay, as well as pensions for retiring workers.
In setting up its organization. His-
fl. f^/p^M tff^s/x/^----'r
SENATOR DAVID CROLL
whidh measure up to the very best we have in bur country.
IMPACT ON ECONOMIC LIFE
But it is on the economic life Israel that Histadrut has had its great impact. Seventy per cent of all agricultural labor and 40 per cent o building workers are employed by Histadrut enterprises. It practically controls the heavy industry of Israel and in many enterprises it enters into partnership with private individuals and sometimes with the government As an example, it owns 80 per cent ol the merchant marine of Israel Solel Boneh, the industrial unit, i^ now building airfields in Turkey, I have no doubt that running through the mind of the reader is the thought that Histadrut is a colossus. It is true, and it cannot be denied. It grew, but not like Topsy. Its growth was planned and directed to meet the needs of the country's economy, when foreign capital was not available^
COMPETE WITH HISTADRUT
How can an individuial compete With Histadrut? The answer is a sim-
tadrut avoided creating any distinc- o"^; ^^^4^* "^y^"^ f'JS^ tion between the craft, industrial ^^ri^U^^omiz m^y^^^^^ it had
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agricultural unions. In fact agricultural workers took the initiaitive in inviting other 'groujps to meet and cohsider conunon problems.
» Histadrut is much like our Canadian Labor Congress, yet it differs organizationally. In Cahada, a bricklayer belongs directly to his local. The local, as a unit, is part of the overall brotherhood of Bricklayers, which is represented in the Canadian Labor Congress. In Israel, the worker joins Jlistadrut directly, and as a membeir of Histadrut he becomes a member of his particular trade union, or local labor council, which is very much like a town hall meeting. Everybody c^mes, everybody speaks, arid everybody feels better afterward.
HKTADRUT MEMBER FIRST
The difference is quite obvious. In Israel every union man is first of all a member of Histadrut, to which he pays his dues. It combines union and welfare. He is subject to its overall authority. Thus, inter-union strife and controversies are avoided. Membership is dpen to all who earn their livelihood by their own labor without exploiting the labor ^ of others, without regard' to political views or party affiliations. Three-quarters of all workers in Israel, including'more than 200,000 Arabs, belong to Histadrut.
The welfare unit of Histadrut operates a health service, known as Kupat Holim. It provides complete medical, dental and hospital care to more than half the people of Israel, and operates about (.20,. hospitals.
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to fill a vacuuhl that private enter-•prise refused to"' entei-. In the pioneering days the private investors were not around. Only Histadrut was prepared to take the risk.
When cenieiit was needed, no private enterprises wdul^' make the investment, and so : Histadrut began a cemelnit V/brks. WMen the small farmer 'arid kibbutz'cotildri't sell jpro-duce, Histadrut co-operatives were "formed."' ' ■ ' ' , , Histadrut could not have' been planned in advance. If it had, it could hardly have succeeded.' These people Who have learned the arts and crafts of all' natioiis, are' putting to iisfe the skills they acquired m dispersion. This is the gigantic task Histadrut is attempting to accomplish.
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