In response to student demands that the San Francisco Jewish Welfare Federation increase its aid to Jewish education, Federation president Melvin Swig has contended that “Federation has consistently supported its commitment to quality Jewish education in this community,” but that “there must be priorities based on available funds.” Criticism of Federation policy, he added, should not take the form of “threats or intimidation,” a reference to the action by a student group called the Jewish Education Coalition, which occupied the Federation offices from the morning of April 30 through the evening of May 1. The Coalition, composed of college and high school students, withdrew “temporarily” while “recognizing that our demands have not yet been met,” according to spokesman Bruce Ballin. The students were presenting four demands, including one for a “serious re-evaluation” of the Federation’s budget priorities. The Federation’s information director, Ernest Weiner, added to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that “there are studies going on” with regard to allocations. But he noted that aid to Jewish education must be considered within “the full range of community needs,” which he said ” fluctuates from year to year.”
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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.
