Brith Abraham Convention Calls for American Action Against Arab Boycott

Delegates to the 74th annual convention of Brith Abraham called on the United States Government today to “take vigorous action against the Arab boycott of 500 American business firms doing business with Israel.” The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 750 delegates, representing 275 lodges of Brith Abraham throughout the country.

Other resolutions adopted by the convention called upon Congress to liberalize the immigration laws; endorsed “sit-ins” by Freedom Riders in the South; supported President Kennedy’s aid-to-education bill, pending in Congress, and asked the United States Government to ratify the United Nations Genocide Convention.

Another resolution urged the U.S. Government to “use pressure” on the Government of the Soviet Union to permit Jews from areas behind the Iron Curtain to emigrate “to wherever they please. ” This resolution emphasized that Jewish religion and culture were being “systematically destroyed” in the USSR, and charged also that a “violent anti-Semitic campaign” was being conducted in the controlled press in the Soviet Union.

Earlier, the convention voted to plant a woodland in Israel as part of the Freedom Forest being developed now at Betar, near Jerusalem, on soil owned by the Jewish National Fund. The plan was proposed by the fraternal organization’s grand master, Maurice Goldstein, after the convention was addressed by Albert Schiff, president of the Jewish National Fund of America. Mr. Schiff had stressed the importance of land reclamation and afforestation to Israel’s security and development.

In another address, the delegates heard from New York State Attorney General Louis J. Lefkowitz about the State’s work on a cooperative program of public education in the field of human relations. The convention bestowed on Mr, Lefkowitz the Brith Abraham’s annual community service award.