Jewish Community Leaders Mourn the Passing of George Meany

Jewish community leaders joined with other Americans of all ranks in mourning the loss of George Meany who died last Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 85 at George Washington University Hospital. He retired three months age after being president of the AFL-CIO for 27 years.

“No American was more devoted to Israel’s freedom as an independent Jewish State than George Meany,” said Albert Zack, who had been closely associated with Meany for 22 years as director of public relations for the AFL-CIO. “If proof were needed of Meany’s feeling for Israel, it was evidenced in the innumerable acts of association and devotion to Israel, in his speeches, his appeals to the Congress and his personal encouragement and support to all Americans to help Israel materially,” Zack said.

A good friend of all Israeli leaders through the years, Zack pointed out that Meany “cherished among his closest relationships his friendship with Golda Meir.” Ironically, Friday was Zack’s last day as the “voice” of the AFL-CIO, since be was retiring at age 62. His successor is Soul Miller, director of the AFL-CIO department of publications since 1958, ALF-CIO president Lone Kirkland said.

Richard Mooss, president of the American Jewish Committee, said the Committee “mourns the passing of George Meany, a truly great American whose lifetime was devoted to enhancing the dignity and welfare of working men and women. American Jews are particularly indebted to him for his stalwart support in such overriding issues as the security of Israel, the plight of Soviet Jewry, and the fight for the preservation of human rights everywhere.”

Maxwell Greenberg, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, and Nathan Perlmutter, ADL director, said in a statement, “We are proud to have fought shoulder to shoulder with him in the advancement of social justice for all people. throughout his life, Mr. Meany forthrightly opposed all forms of totalitarianism, whether from the right or left. He was a staunch defender of American friendship for Israel and was in the fore-front of the struggle against anti-Semitism every-where. The Jewish people, like the nation and the world, are bereaved.”

B’nai B’rith president Jack Spitzer observed that Meany “was always in the forefront for the protection of minorities and for the cause of Soviet Jewry and other oppressed people. He was an out spoken supporter of Israel and a vigorous opponent of all forms of bigotry, violence and terrorism.”

In Israel, Histadrut secretary general Yeruham Meshel described Meany as a “great labor leader and a friend of Israel. He was a true democrat, a fighter for freedom and for social justice. He was a courageous man who never hesitated to voice criticism of the American establishment and Administrations when they violated the principles of freedom and justice or harmed Israel.”)