Jewish Federation Leaders Hear Reports on Bias Morocco and Israel

The role of the United States Government in combatting prejudice and discrimination was analyzed here at a conference of Jewish community leaders from 11 states by Maxwell M. Rabb, secretary to President Eisenhower’s Cabinet. He told the Jewish leaders that the President would soon send a special message to Congress requesting amendment of the immigration law. Warning of the continued activity of hate-mongers in this country, he called on the Government and voluntary organizations to act in partnership to end discrimination.

The Jewish community leaders before whom Mr. Rabb spoke were attending the 21st annual conference of the West Central Region of the Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. They came from cities in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northwest Indiana and Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada. They also heard an eye-witness account of the “precarious position of Moroccan Jews which will necessitate increased emigration to Israel.”

The report was made by Samuel Haber, Joint Distribution Committee director for Morocco. Mr. Haber stressed the life–saving work of the JDC in “bringing health and hope to youth in poverty-stricken disease-ridden mellahs of Morocco.” He compared the 80,000 who have registered for emigration in 1956 with the 36,000 quota in 1955 and urged acceleration of emigration because of the future uncertainties involved.

The conference heard a report on Israel by Ernest Stock, overseas consultant for the CJFWF. Mr. Stock described the impact of increased immigration on the Israel economy. The increase in emigration from North Africa and Israel’s own reduced ability to help finance their absorption is the basis for the UJA’s $25,000,000 Special Fund. “It can be considered a stop-gap to permit Israel to resume its progress towards self-sufficiency which was slowed down in 1955,” he said. “Lack of philanthropic support from the American Jewish community would jeopardize Israel’s precarious stability even further and the Jewish Agency would again have to resort to the maabarot and other non-productive and costly measures,” he warned.

The Jewish leaders reviewed welfare needs at home, exploring fund-raising in 1956, the special United Jewish Appeal drive, dynamics of giving, leadership, and campaign planning and budgeting. Harry Collinger of St. Louis, reported on a pilot study of contributor motivations in giving. Preliminary findings stressed the importance of Jewish identification. A workshop session on community planning for leadership heard reports of successful development of young men’s councils in West Central cities. Various speakers urged measures to retain old leadership and involve Jewish organizations in community-wide planning for training and utilization of leadership. I. J. Mnookin, Kansas City, was elected regional president.