B’nai B’rith President Urges Joint Committee to Defend Jewish Rights

ALFRED M. COHEN OF CINCINNATI, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF B’NAI B’RITH, URGED TONIGHT THAT THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS, B’NAI B’RITH AND POSSIBLE “A VERY FEW OTHERS” ORGANIZE IN BEHALF OF AMERICAN JEWRY A COMMITTEE FOR UNITED ACTION WHEN JEWISH RIGHTS IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD ARE THREATENED.

MR. COHEN SPOKE AT A DINNER IN THE HOTEL ASTOR CELEBRATING THE 94TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF B’NAI B’RITH IN NEW YORK CITY, WITH DR. CYRUS ADLER, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE, AND DR. STEPHEN S. WISE, PRESIDENT OF THE CONGRESS, ALSO ON THE PROGRAM IN A PANEL DISCUSSION OF “UNITY IN AMERICAN JEWRY.”

THE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS OF A UNITED EFFORT, HE SAID, ARE A WILL FOR UNITY, RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO AMERICAN JEWRY WITH NO OBLIGATIONS TO THE ORGANIZATIONS CHOOSING THEM AND ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRATIC LINES WITH A MAJORITY VOTE GOVERNING AND THE MINORITY BEING BOUND BY THE DECISION.

DECLARING UNITY RESULTS IN PETRIFICATION IF IT MEANS UNIFORMITY, MR. COHEN SAID THAT THERE WAS ONE FIELD IN WHICH “ALL JEWRY SHOULD SPEAK AND ACT IN UNISON.” THIS FIELD, HE SAID, “IS THE DEFENSE OF THE JEW OR WHEN HE IS ASSAILED BECAUSE HE IS A JEW OR WHEN HIS RIGHTS AS A HUMAN BEING IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD ARE THREATENED.”

RECALLING THAT THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS HAD FORMED A JOINT COUNCIL, HE SAID THIS COUNCIL “ALL BUT FAILED AS AN INSTRUMENTALITY BECAUSE THE RIGHT WAS RESERVED BY EACH OF THE CONSTITUENTS TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY IN ANY MATTER UPON WHICH A UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT WAS NOT REACHED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COUNCIL.”