American Rabbis Appeal to United Nations for More Effective Aid for European Jews

The governments of the United Nations were charged today by the Central Conference of American Rabbis and by the Rabbinical Assembly of America with not extending sufficient effective relief to Jews in Nazi Europe. A joint resolution adopted by the two rabbinical bodies demanded that “bolder and larger scale efforts be undertaken forthwith for the deliverance of Jews from Nazi-dominated lands and for providing havens of asylum for them in neutral and Allied countries.”

The resolution, which also asked that “the doors of Palestine be opened wide to homeless Jews,” was passed unanimously at a joint session of the two organizations which are holding their annual conventions here. It reads;

“We, the members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Rabbinical Assembly of America, unite in expressing our grief and indignation over the barbaric cruelties which have been visited upon our fellow-Jews in European lands, and in proclaiming our resolve before God not to rest until healing and deliverance have been brought to those members of the House of Israel who now sit in darkness, in the shadow of pain and death.

“In our sorrow we are deeply grateful for the many messages of sympathy which have come to us from men of good will who are not of our faith and for the efforts of the United Nations to alleviate the lot of Jewish victims of Nazi brutality. Nonetheless we must make it clear that expressions of condolence are of avail only when translated into programs of action. The measure of effective relief afforded by the governments of the United Nations has heretofore been unequal either to their historic traditions of humanity or to the vast tragedy which has befallen our people.

“Wherefore, in joint session assembled, we appeal to the conscience of the civilized world and to the government of the democratic nations to come to the rescue of our stricken brethren before it is too late. We ask that bolder and larger scale efforts be undertaken forthwith for the deliverance of Jews from Nazidominated lands and for providing havens of asylum for them in neutral and Allied countries. We ask that the doors of Palestine especially be opened wide to homeless Jews, in accordance with the pledged word of the nations of the world. We ask further, that immediate assurances be given by the United Nations of their resolution to restore the disfranchised Jews to full civic and social equality and to religious and cultural freedom in the post-war world.”