Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, urged today that the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union be handled with extreme caution because the fate of Soviet Jewry is “quite delicate.” For that reason, he said, he would advise against holding the projected second Brussels conference on Soviet Jewry scheduled for February.
If the conference is convened, however, he said, the WJC would participate with a large, strong delegation. He said he was promised personally by Leon Dulzin, acting chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives, that “the Congress would be active in the preparation work involved.
Dr. Goldmann told a press conference here that he took a cautious view of the Brussels conference because the Russians are presently less dependent on the United States than in the past and propaganda for the improvement of the condition of Soviet Jewry, while it should continue at the present rate, should try “not to upset the Soviets too much.”
According to Dr. Goldmann, if the Brussels conference takes place, it should concern itself not only with the rights of Jews to emigrate from the USSR but with the issue of the “millions who will stay in the USSR whose right to live as Jews is no less important than aliya.”
He delivered a similar message when he spoke today at a special session of the WZO Executive; The upcoming Soviet Jewry parley would have to deal with the issue of Jewish religious and national rights inside the USSR as well as with the issue of aliya, Dr. Goldmann said. The confab is organized jointly by the WZO, WJC and B’nai B’rith.
There will be no Bulletin dated Oct, 13 due to Columbus Day, a postal holiday.
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