Krone Says Not Enough Funds Available for Jewish Education in U.S.

The head of the Jewish Agency’s religious education department complained today that not enough funds were being made available for Jewish education in the United States. Moshe Krone said Jewish education received only eight cents out of every dollar allocated by the Jewish welfare funds in the U.S. for local needs. Local community needs, including education, share in the monies left over after the major part of the funds raised in the U.S. are transferred to Israel. Mr. Krone claimed that if more money was provided for Jewish education in the U.S. “maybe there would be fewer young Jews among the hippies and the new left.” He acknowledged that the Conservative movement in the U.S. has approached his department for cooperation and assistance and said the request was under consideration. Mr. Krone, who is Orthodox, would not say what kind of assistance the Conservative movement wanted. His department, which has an $1.4 million budget, devotes most of its resources to the needs of Orthodox communities abroad. He denied that the American Reform movement has ever asked his department for aid.