Council of Jewish Communities Formed in Spain; Will Seek Rights

The formation of a Council of Jewish Communities of Spain, comprised of Jewish communal bodies in four cities, was reported here today from Madrid. The Council represents Spain’s 5,000 Jews in Madrid, Barcelona, Ceuta and Melilla. The last two cities are in the Spanish enclave of Morocco.

The report said that Max Mazin, leader of the Madrid Jewish community, would seek an interview with Generalissimo Francisco Franco to secure official recognition from the Spanish Government for the Council and for Spanish Jewry as a religious group. The Roman Catholic Church is the only recognized religious group in Spain. Jews and some 30,000 Protestants are permitted to worship in unmarked buildings under a Statement of Tolerance approved in 1945. Jews and Protestants are allowed to buy property for worship only as private individuals, not under corporate names.

Mr. Mazin disclosed his plans in connection with a Sephardic symposium which began in Madrid last Monday and will end June 10. The symposium is being conducted by the Institute of Sephardic Studies. Sponsors are the Higher Council of Sephardic Research, the World Sephardim Federation and the Institute of Hispanic Culture. Some 70 representatives from the United States, Britain, South America, France and Israel are attending the symposium.

One of the objectives of the symposium is a world census of Sephardic Jews, estimated by Mr. Mazin to total between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000, with about half settled in Israel. The symposium also hopes to find ways to renew ties with the Spanish culture and language and to begin preparation for a dictionary in Ladino, the Spanish-Hebrew language spoken by Sephardic Jews.

A draft of a law to guarantee religious rights for non-Catholics in Spain has been approved by the council of 12 Spanish Archbishops, To become law it must be passed by the Parliament which was considered likely if General Franco approves.