Twenty Jewish National Youth Groups to Act on Status of Soviet Jewry

Twenty national Jewish youth groups agreed to join forces to aid Soviet Jewry, it was announced here today. Known as the American Jewish Youth Conference for Soviet Jewry, the body will coordinate inter-organizational activities. The nation-wide program is being undertaken as an adjunct to the American Jewish Conference for Soviet Jewry, an ad hoc body composed of 24 major national Jewish organizations seeking to secure equal cultural and religious rights for Jews in the Soviet Union.

Participating in the American Jewish Youth Conference for Soviet Jewry are B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, National Hillel Foundations, National Jewish Welfare Board, National Federation of Temple Youth, National Conference of Synagogue Youth, United Synagogue Youth, National Council of Young Israel, Yavne, Atid, Leaders Training Fellowship, the American Zionist Youth Council, Betar, B’nei Akiva, Dror Hechalutz Hatzair, Habcrim, Hashomer Hatzair, Junior Hadassah, Mizrachi Hatzair, Student Zionist Organization, Masada of ZOA and Young Judaea.

The American Jewish Youth Conference for Soviet Jewry maintains that the “Jews of the Soviet Union today are denied the exercise of their spiritual and cultural heritage although guaranteed this right by the Soviet constitution.” Insisting that Soviet Jews are “singled out from all other groups for severe limitations beyond those imposed on other religious groups” the Conference addressed itself to youth throughout the world.