American Association for Jewish Education Facing Financial Problems, Parley Hears

Michael A. Stavisky of Newark was re-elected president end former Governor Herbert E. Lehman was re-elected honorary president of the American Association for Jewish Education today at the concluding session of the four-day annual convention of the Association held here.

The parley was told that because of the "unprecedented drive for overseas relief and resettlement and the rebuilding of the Jewish state" the Association has encountered great difficulties in obtaining funds and has been forced to resort to deficit financing. Its budget for this year has "been set at $175,000.Special committees have been established in most of the major American cities to aid the Association’s financial drive.

American Jewish educators will "vigorously continue to oppose any effort to exploit the police power of the state for the purpose of buttressing religious and sectarian education," Dr. Maurice H. Eisendrath, president of the Union of America Hebrew Congregations, declared at an earlier session. "The battle for the continued separation of church and state is not yet over: it has just begun," he said.

Judge Louis Leventhal, speaking at a session on "Education for Jewish living," said that "the way to keep America strong and true to its heritage of freedom and justice for all denominations in our country is to intensify and improve the religious education of our youth. American Jewry is called upon to relieve the tragic distress of their co-religionists, those languishing in the displaced persons camps of Europe and those gallantly fighting in the beleaguered republic of Israel. Samuel Rothstein, president of the United Synagogue of America, stated that "Jewish education in America in the last generation has made remarkable strides. It has developed a sense of spirituality in the lives of our younger Jews."