Rustin: Jews, Blacks Victims of Oppression; Should Work Jointly for Just Society

The National Council of Jewish Women ended their four-day blennial convention here tonight with the election of Mrs. Earl Marvin, of Woodmere, L.I. as national president, succeeding Mrs. Leonard Weiner. The organization’s fourth annual John F. Kennedy Award was presented to Bayard Rustin, executive director of the A. Philip Randolph Institute. In accepting the honor, Rustin observed that the only way to build a just society was to bring together groups interested in such a society. He said blacks and Jews were two groups firmly committed to a just order and that their common experience as victims of persecution, discrimination and prejudice brought them together for common social and political action. Yesterday’s session of the convention was devoted largely to one of the NCJW’s main areas of concern–child care day centers. The organization has 50 intergrated day care centers in operation and 50 more in planning stages in New York Boston Washington, D.C. and four other cities. The 700 convention delegates were addressed by Mrs. Mary D. Keyserling, former head of the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Mrs. Keyserling headed an NCJW survey to evaluate existing day care facilities and forecast future needs. Hannah Stein, the Council’s executive director, said “We have focused on day care as the most effective and acceptable way for our members to reach into the inner city to aid deprived children and mothers on welfare.”