Jewish Anti-poverty Official Charges Jews Excluded from Participation in Programs

A Jewish anti-poverty official charged here that poor New York Jews were “systematically denied participation” in city poverty programs except in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The charge was made Friday at a hearing by a House subcommittee on poverty and manpower by S. Elly Rosen, speaking for the New York Association of Jewish Community, Anti-Poverty and Municipal Employes. He also told the Congressmen that the city’s anti-poverty agencies were fomenting ethnic conflict between Blacks and Jews. He said poor Jews had been “forcibly prevented” from voting in elections for community corporations which, in 26 officially-designated poverty areas, serve as channels for allocating federal and city funds for anti-poverty projects. Asked who barred Jews from such voting, as well as allegedly beating and otherwise abusing them, Rosen replied that it was usually Blacks who, he said, controlled most of the anti-poverty programs in New York City. Asserting that 800,000 Jews in New York City live below the poverty line, he said that “the indignities suffered by the poor Jew in this city are enormous, horrendous and growing.” He said the agency to correct the problem was the New York City Council Against Poverty, the city’s principal agency for dealing with poverty. The Congressmen are conducting hearings on New York City’s anti-poverty programs but do not have specific legislation before them.