Establishment of a World Federation of Sephardic Communities climaxed the five-day first world congress of Sephardic Jews which concluded here this week-end. Moshe Sharett, Foreign Minister of Israel, in an address at a dinner given by the congress, hailed the formation of the federation as a significant development in Jewish life.
Asher Benroye, of London, was elected president of the new federation by the 180 delegates representing Sephardic communities in 23 countries. Elie Eliashar, a member of the Israeli Parliament; Behor Shitreet, Israeli Minister of Police; Neville J. Laski, London barrister; and Simon S. Nissim, of New York, were elected vice-presidents. The Federation will have offices in Jerusalem, Paris and New York. A council of 40 members was named to carry on federation activities until the next congress in two years’ time.
The constitution of the New federation, adopted by the congress, states as its aims to promote unity in Jewish life by co-ordination of Sephardic Jewish culture with Judaism in general, to promote the religious and cultural life of the Sephardic communities, to provide moral and financial assistance to Sephardic communities in distress, to take an active part in the Jewish renaissance in Israel and co-operate with all Jewish organizations engaged in this work and to aid Sephardic Jews desirous of emigrating to and settling in Israel.
The congress adopted a series of resolutions in which it endorsed projects for establishment of a center of contemporary Jewish documentation in Paris and erection here of a tomb and monument to the memory of an unknown Jewish martyr, thanked all Jewish organizations working for the relief of needy and oppressed Sephardic Jews everywhere and urged Sephardic Jews to maintain their traditional devotion to the cause of Israel and intensify their material aid to the new state.
Delegates from the United States, in addition to Mr. Nissim, were Rabbi David de Sola Poole, Rabbi Isaac Alkalai and Vitalis Nahamias, all of New York.
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