Canadian Zionist Convention Appeals to Government on Soviet Jews

Delegates to the 37th annual convention of the Zionist Organization of Canada urged the Canadian Government to appeal to the Soviet Union for a revision of its policies toward Russian Jewry. The 500 delegates also elected Lawrence Freiman of Ottawa, as president today.

In the resolution on Soviet Jewry, the delegates urged Soviet authorities on humanitarian grounds to permit reunification of families separated during the Nazi holocaust.

In another resolution, the delegates urged the Canadian Government to openly state its support of Israel’s right to share the waters of the Jordan River and to discourage threats by Arab governments against Israel’s tap of the Jordan River for its National Water Carrier Project. The Government also was urged to oppose the huge buildup of armaments by Arab countries and not to stand idly by while peace in the Middle East was threatened by aggressive plans in the area.

The delegates, in a resolution on aliyah, recommended the establishment in Israel of homes for Canadian immigrants on easy terms and that a policy of generous subsidization of moving costs for Canadian settlers in Israel, along the lines of the British Zionist movement, be established.

Another resolution proposed a policy of maximum Zionist movement involvement in all phases of Hebrew education in Canada and urged the new ZOC executive to strengthen the Hebrew Day School movement. It also called for a national survey to determine present and future needs of Hebrew and Zionist education at all levels.

Another resolution urged the new executive to explore the possibility of organizing a Canadian Zionist Youth Commission to coordinate the activities of the various Sionist youth groups in Canada.