A statement purporting to express the view of the American Psychiatric Association that Jews are not wanted in that organization has been denounced as fraudulent by the APA’s spokesman in whose name the statement was released.
A press release sent to several Jewish newspapers said: “The American Psychiatric Association has again expressed its dedication to an ‘ethnic balance’ by voicing its determination to ‘reduce the number of psychiatrists of Jewish extraction within our ranks. . . . Recent allegations of Nazism and anti-Semitism are completely unfounded. We simply do not need any more Jews as members of the APA. We have all kinds of Jews.” The statement was attributed to Robert Robinson, director of public affairs for the APA.
Contacted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the APA’s national headquarters in Washington, Robinson said: “That news release. . . is nothing but a piece of malicious fraud manufactured out of whole cloth by someone of nefarious intent.” He added: ” I have never heard of the agency and to my know ledge have never talked to any representative of it, and if I had talked to any such person I would have talked in exactly the opposite view to what I am accused of saying. There is no Jewish problem in this association. I have never in all my 29 years here heard anyone refer to ‘ethnic balance’ as a problem.”
AGENCY IS NOT KNOWN
The news release was sent out by an organization identified on the release as “S. L. Associates” of San Francisco, 537 Jones Street, P.O.B. 564. The JTA tried to contact the agency but a San Francisco telephone operator said it was not listed in the phone book. Several Jewish leaders of the San Francisco community, contacted by the JTA, said they had never heard of the agency.
The press release also said: “Adding to the tension are several prominent Jewish psychiatrists who have circulated a letter to what they called ‘Eastern psychiatric voices’ claiming that the APA Nazi-like position is supported by other Nazi sources in the APA. One such member claims that there is a very strong intention to ‘do whatever is necessary to close out Jewish membership entirely.”
Robinson told the JTA, “We have many Jewish members though I do not know the number and I don’t think anyone else does. No one cares. We are anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-discrimination, and so on. Many of our leading people are of the Jewish faith. . . . It is patently incredible that I could be of anti-Semitic orientation and be in my present position all these years. I hope all who see that malicious press release will recognize it for what it is.”
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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.
