“big Four” Forms “general Council for Jewish Rights”

The formation of a “General Council for Jewish Rights, of the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the B’nai B’rith and the Jewish Labor Committee,” to coordinate the activities of these organizations “that bear specifically on the safeguarding of the equal rights of Jews” was announced last night by Edgar J. Kaufmann, its temporary chairman, following an all day meeting at the Hotel St. Regis attended by representatives of the four bodies.

Formation of the Council is in accordance with a decision reached at Pittsburgh June 13 at a conference of the representatives of the four organizations. Yesterday’s meeting adopted a constitution for the new organization, governing its scope and structure.

Under the terms of the constitution, “The Council shall consider and act upon proposals and plans for the safeguarding of equal rights of Jews here and abroad.” A two-thirds affirmative vote of the total membership of the Council makes its decisions “binding upon the organizations and groups included within its membership.” It is, however, precluded from making decisions on matters “that involve an encroachment upon the racial, national, religious or economic philosophies of the constituent organizations.”

The Council, for the present, is to comprise five representatives named for a term of one year “by and from each of the constituent organizations.” Provision is made in the constitution for admission of additional groups upon “an affirmative vote of not less than five sixths of the total membership of the Council.”

The Council is required to meet at least once every three months, but may be summoned into special session either at the call of the chairman, or at the written request of seven representatives. In view of the national character of the body, It was decided that no more than two regular meetings during any twelve month period may be held in New York City.

Although the Council comprises four groups, voting on any question is to be by individual ballot with each representative entitled to one vote.

The constitution as adopted yesterday represents recommendations of a committee of eight, named for this purpose by the four organizations. The members of this committee included: Morris D. Waldman and Sidney Wallach, for the American Jewish Committee; Louis Lipsky and Carl Sherman, for the American Jewish Congress; Louis Fabricant and Leonard V. Finder, for the B’nai B’rith, and J. Baskin and I. Minkoff, of the Jewish Labor Committee.

Recommendations for the program of action to be undertaken by the Council will be submitted to its next meeting, scheduled for September 19 in New York City. A subcommittee of four, including one representative from each of the constituent organizations and headed by B. C. Vladeck, was named to make a survey of the activities to be undertaken by the Council and to submit its recommendations to the next meeting. This sub-committee will have before it, as a basis for its recommendations, a study of the work already engaged upon by the four organizations. The members of this sub-committee include Louis Fabricant, for B’nai B’rith; Louis Lipsky, for the American Jewish Congress, and Sol M. Stroock, for the American Jewish Committee.

This sub-committee will also study and make recommendations as to the relations to be established with Jewish communities throughout the united states with a view to securing their cooperation in the program of the council.

At the September session it is proposed to elect the permanent officers of the Council for a period of one year. These will comprise a chairman, a vice chairman, a treasurer and a secretary. A special committee was named to consider and recommend nominations for these posts.

Those present at the meeting yesterday included: For the American Jewish Committee–Morris D. Waldman, Richard Rothschild and Sol Stroock; for the American Jewish Congress–Gedaliah Bublick, Rabbi J. X. Cohen, Louis Segal and Louis Lipsky; for B’nai B’rith–Maurice Bisgyer, Louis Fabricant, Leonard V. Finder, Sigmund W. Livingston, Henry Monsky and Benjamin Samuels; for the Jewish Labor Committee–Joseph Baskin, I. H. Goldberg, Louis Hollander, I. Minkoff, I. Nagler and B. C. Vladeck; also Edgar J.Kaufmann, presiding, Arthur S. Meyer, Dr. Hugo Breitner, and I. D. Wolf.