Employment Discrimination Against Jews Reported Widespread

Discrimination against Jews in employment in the United States is more widespread than is generally recognized even in periods of full employment, it was reported at a three-day conference of representatives of Jewish organizations affiliated with the National Community Relations Advisory Council.

The conference came to the conclusion that the problem merits greater attention than it is receiving from Jewish community relations agencies and Jewish vocational services. A full report on the recommendations adopted at the conference will be issued at a later date, it was announced today.

In a statement unanimously adopted as a “frame of reference, ” the conference observed that manifestations and areas of discrimination vary with local conditions and with fluctuations in the economic cycle, but that discrimination is not confined to periods of unemployment.

Complaints by individuals that they have been discriminated against is not a full or reliable index of the extent or the seriousness of the problem, the conferees agreed. To accept it as such “is to view the problem far too narrowly, which all too often results in an acceptance of occupational ghettoization. “

The conference declared further that it considered the problem of employment discrimination “a challenge to American Jewish communities at all times, rather than an interim activity to be undertaken only during periods of unemployment or increased incidence of complaints. “

The objective of employment discrimination work, the conferees agreed is to afford “all individuals an equal oportunity to be hired and to advance in occupations of their own choice to the full measure of their ability, ” and “the achievement of this objective represents a task for every Jewish community – a task that has not as yet received adequate attention. “

Represented at the conference were the American Jewish Congress, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans of the U. S., Union of American Hebrew Congregations, United Synagogue of America, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, local Jewish councils affiliated with the NCRAC.

Also the Conference on Jewish Relations, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, Jewish Occupational Council, National Council of Young Israel, New York Association for New Americans, United Service for New Americans, ORT, Federation Employment Service of New York and Jewish vocational service agencies of Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Newark, Philadelphia and Montreal.