Cjc Delegation Meets with Levesque to Brief Him on Jewish Concerns

A 10-member delegation of the Canadian Jewish Congress met here yesterday with Quebec Premier Rene Levesque to brief him on the concerns of the Jewish community of the province. The delegates pointed out that while the Jewish community is not monolithic, Quebec Jews are traditionally federalist in outlook. Levesque and his Parti Quebecois favor splitting French-speaking Quebec from the rest of English-speaking Canada.

However, the CJC stressed that it is fully determined to participate in Quebec affairs regardless which party is in office. The delegation pointed out that the Jewish community is similar to that of the French Canadians since it wants to maintain its own cultural identity.

The delegation stressed that the Jewish community does not want to be a minority within the English-speaking community in Quebec but a minority within the majority. It stressed that the Jewish community is determined to maintain its own identity and culture and its own schools as well as its attachment for Israel and concern for the plight of Jews in such countries as the Soviet Union, Syria and other Arab countries.

The delegation asked Levesque for legislation guaranteeing human rights, particularly on languages; for the continued provincial government support of Jewish day schools, attended by 40 percent of Jewish children in the province; and for social welfare and housing for the elderly programs. Levesque was receptive and indicated understanding of the specific points raised by the delegation which was led by Leon Teitelbaum, chairman of the CJC’s Montreal chapter, and Alan Rose, national executive director of the CJC.