Jewish Teachers and Students Urge Federation to Allocate More Funds for Jewish Education

A coalition of Jewish students and teachers called yesterday upon the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies to allocate more funds from its annual budget to Jewish education and to the setting up of a Jewish public library in the city. The coalition of religious and radical students and teachers. Concerned Jewish Teachers and Students for a Jewish Education, issued this demand at the Pedagogical Conference of the Jewish Education Committee which was attended by several hundred rabbis, educators, teachers and supervisors of Hebrew and Jewish schools in New York.

The theme of the conference was “Teaching for Lasting Jewish Values.” One of the speakers was Mr. George Heyman, president of the Federation. Students from Yeshiva University, and members of the Jewish Liberation Project and the Havura, distributed leaflets contending that “the Federation allocated only 3.7 percent of its $22 million operating budget in 1967-68 to Jewish education.” A participant in the Conference reported that Allan Mintz, a member of Havura and representing the coalition, told the meeting that the demonstration was an expression of mounting anger and frustration with the Federation over its “insensitivity to the needs of Jewish youth who are striving to maintain and deepen their heritage. We do not seek confrontation with the Federation. We just want to say shalom.”

Mintz, the participant noted, said one aim of the coalition is to persuade the Federation to have youth representatives on its decision making councils which deal with determining policies, programs and priorities. Last month, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston approved the involvement of college youth in such committees there. It was one of the first actions of its type in the country. Mr. Heyman reportedly noted that the Federation cannot allocate funds for such activity when those who contribute to the agency do not concern themselves with these specific needs. “We need a broader base of contributions for this,” he said. Mr. Heyman declined today to discuss what he said at the conference. He told the JTA, which called him to get elaboration, “My statement is on tape. You can get it from that. I don’t have the time. I’m awfully sorry. Thank you.”