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Black Jews Form Group to Counter Anti-semitism Among U.S. Negroes

August 20, 1964
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The formation of a special committee to improve understanding between America’s Jewish communities and the country’s Negroes was announced here today by a spokesman for Zaad Rishon, an organization seeking to integrate the more than 40, 000 American black Jews into the mainstream of Jewish life.

According to the announcement, the new committee will combat anti-Semitic agitation being conducted among Negro communities. Zaad Rishon is also in the process of forming other committees to deal with employment, education and cultural problems faced by New York’s black Jews.

Zaad Rishon (First Step), recently formed, said today that, while officers have not yet been formally elected, the group’s leaders include several rabbis as well as Rabbi Alexander Bernstein of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Dr. Werner Cahnman, a Jewish sociologist, of Rutgers University. Rabbi Moshe Paris, of Ethiopia, who is chairman of New York’s Black Rabbis’ Advisory Board, is acting as Zaad Rishon’s consultant.

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