The possibility that French Jewry may have to face a problem of massive Jewish immigration into France from Algeria, regardless of the outcome of any political settlement in that area, was expressed here today by Daniel Mayer, a former French Cabinet Minister and chairman of the executive committee of the World Ort Union. He addressed the 1,200 delegates to the 16th biennial convention of Women’s American Ort, taking place here.
Mr. Mayer said that French Jewry would “need much assistance in the alleviation of these human problems.” He referred to France’s postwar role as a haven for immigrants, and pointed out that France alone, of all European countries, had a larger Jewish population today than before the war. This, he said, was due to the tradition of sanctuary and friendly reception that France has always offered to refugees and also to a steady stream of immigrants from North Africa.
“Nevertheless,” he declared, “this tide of North African Jews is a welcome addition” in spite of the fact that it presents serious problems of communal, cultural and economic integration. Mr. Mayer devoted his speech to the dual character of ORT in its immediate tasks with the refugees from Hungary, Egypt and Poland along with its long-range objectives of providing vocational education in Israel, North Africa, Iran and India.
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