The American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith today announced jointly that they will put into effect tomorrow "an improved program of mutual planning to provide a stronger impact on the American mind concerning the evils of anti-Semitism and other forms of racial and religious bigotry and discrimination."
The two organizations, the oldest engaged in the work of combating anti-Semitism, said in their announcement that they had moved "toward more integrated operations" by establishing six joint operating committees to coordinate their work in specialized areas. These areas are: intercultural education; interreligious activities; community relations work with war veterans; with organized labor; civil rights activities, including legal action and legislative analysis; and fact-finding which deals with investigations of overt anti-Semitism.
The two agencies have long been partners in cooperative fund-raising through the Joint Defense Appeal which seeks to raise $5,000,000 in 1953. Jacob Blaustein, president of the American Jewish Committee, and Henry Edward Schultz, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League. both emphasized that the work of the joint operating committees will not affect the autonomy or independence of either agency.
"If a conflict of ideology or philosophy separates us on any particular issue, we can agree to disagree amicably, without injuring the long-range policy of cooperation or destroying the spirit of harmony between us, "they declared in a joint statement. "Meanwhile, under the arrangement local Jewish communities throughout the country will have the advantage of more effective service to meet their problems than ever before."
The new procedure is the outgrowth of the controversy that has centered around the programs of Jewish organizations in the field of community relations which resulted in the withdrawal of the A.J.C. and the A.D.L. from the National Community Relations Advisory Council.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
