Desegregation tensions in the South and the Arab-Israel conflict were “most intensively exploited” by anti-Jewish agitators during the past year, the American Jewish Committee establishes in its annual American Jewish Year Book, published today.
The major portion of the racist literature which flooded tense Southern states was published in California, Colorado, New Jersey and New York. By comparison, the propaganda of Southern white supremacy groups dealing with “states rights” and urging boycotts to enforce segregation, “seemed temperate, ” the report says.
The report states that, as tensions mounted in the Middle East, agitators intensified the promotion of pro-Arab, anti-Jewish themes, and aided in the dissemination of Arab propaganda. Arab agencies in the United States sought to promote divisiveness among Americans and pit group against group, with such publications as “Tension, Terror and Blood in the Holy Land, ” a manual for pro-Arab speakers and writers, which was widely distributed in 1956.
The Year Book, published jointly by the AJC and the Jewish Publication Society, includes a broad range of articles on Jewish population data; civic and political status; communal affairs; religion; and Jewish affairs in countries throughout the world.
JEWISH BIRTH RATE IN UNITED STATES SHOWS INCREASE
In the report on world Jewish population, the Year Book states that there is an estimated 11, 900, 000 Jews–a slight increase over last year. About 51 percent–some six million Jews–live in North and South America. More than 3, 000, 000 live in Europe, while Asia has more than 1, 750, 000. About 600, 000 reside in Africa, and about 58, 000 in Australia and New Zealand.
A considerable decrease was registered in the number of Jews in Africa, owing to the continuing migration to Israel and France, According to Year Book estimates, Morocco has 200,000 Jews, Algeria 140,000, and Tunisia 85, 000. The Jewish population of South Africa remained at about 110, 000.
Regarding the Jewish population in the United States–estimated at about 5, 200, 000–the Year Book reports that, since World War II, the Jewish birth rate has kept pace with the rise in the general birth rate of the rest of the population. However the Year Book article says it is too early to predict that the Jewish population in America will show a large net increase.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
