Organization of Jewish veterans into specifically Jewish groups was opposed at a conference here yesterday of former enlisted men and Jewish chaplains, sponsored by the Jewish Re-constructionist Foundation. Most of the speakers asserted that their problems and interests as veterans was no different from those of veterans of other faiths and did not warrant the establishment of special associations.
Mrs. Rose Jacobs, only woman member of the Jewish Agency executive, who presided at the meeting, praised “the spirit of defiance with which our brothers in Palestine are withstanding the threat to their existence.” All speakers stressed the need for immediate opening of the gates of Palestine to the displaced and refugee Jews of Europe. Most of them reported that they had been attracted to Zionism as a result of their war experiences.
In a message to the conference, General Omar N. Bradley, head of the Veterans administration, paid tribute to the war record of men and women of the Jewish faith, and emphasized that the task of helping veterans to re-establish themselves in civilian life was a problem for the entire nation, and not for Government agencies alone.
Among subjects discussed at the all-day meeting were: anti-Semitism, relationships between Jewish soldiers and non-Jews, discrimination against Negroes, veterans organizations, cooperative action for democracy, the labor movement, attitude of Jews toward Jewish life, resistance to religion, Zionism, and the reconstruction of Jewish religious and communal life.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
