Hundreds Attend Schwartz Funeral

Jewish leaders throughout the world expressed grief, and shock over the death of Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz. More than 300 people, representing a cross-section of Jewish communal organizations here and abroad, attended funeral services today at the Riverside Memorial Chapel. Ambassador David Rivlin, Israel’s Consul General in New York, delivered messages from Israeli leaders including Premier Yitzhak Rabin, Deputy Premier Yigal Allon and Simcha Dinitz, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., extolling Dr. Schwartz’s work in rescuing European Jews and helping to create the State of Israel. Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein of Kehillath Jeshurun led the service, and Rabbi Emanuel Polakoff of Baltimore, nephew of Dr. Schwartz, delivered a eulogy.

As director general of the American Joint Distribution Committee, Dr. Schwartz supervised urgent relief and welfare programs in 30 countries involving more than one million people. In the course of 12 years, he personally conferred with heads of virtually every country in Europe, and with leading statesmen of the Middle East and North Africa.

With the approval of the United States War Refugee Board at the height of World War II, he negotiated successfully through natural emissaries for the rescue of tens of thousands of Jews from Nazi Germany and occupied Europe.

In 1945, immediately following the war’s end in Europe, President Truman named Dr. Schwartz to accompany Earl G. Harrison on a survey tour of the then newly established displaced persons camps in the American Zones of Occupation. Their report was the first comprehensive presentation to the American people describing the plight of Europe’s displaced persons. Later, Dr. Schwartz was called to testify on Palestine, where he urged the establishment in the Holy Land of a permanent haven for homeless and displaced Jews.

After the war, Dr. Schwartz, as the overseas chief of the JDC, directed the transfer to Israel of more than 500,000 Jews from distressed areas in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. At the same time, he helped more than 100,000 Jewish displaced persons emigrate to the United States, Canada and Latin America.

EXPRESSIONS OF GRIEF

Among the leaders expressing grief over Dr. Schwartz’s death were Pinhas Sapir, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives; Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the WZO-American Section; Isadore Hamlin, executive vice-chairman of the Section: Jack D. Weiler, chairman and Samuel L. Haber, executive vice-chairman of the JDC; Frederick P. Rose, president, and Sanford Solender, executive vice-president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Greater New York.

Also, Samuel Rothberg, general chairman of the Israel Bond Organization, Michael Arnon, president, and Ira Guilden, chairman of the board; Lawrence A. Tisch, president, Morris L. Levinson, chairman of the board of governors and Ernest W. Michel, executive vice-president of the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York Frank R. Lautenberg, general chairman, Paul Zuckerman, president, and Irving Bernstein, executive vice-president of the United Jewish Appeal.

Also Max M. Fisher, chairman of the board of governors, and Moshe Rivlin, director general of the Jewish Agency; and Carl Glick, president, Harold Friedman, chairman of the executive committee, and Gaynor L. Jacobson, executive vice-president of the United HIAS Service.

Dr. Schwartz was lauded as a leader with deep compassion for fellow Jews endangered or in need, who would be long revered by the thousands of Jews whose lives were restored as a result of his many decades of service. Letters of condolence were sent to Dr. Schwartz’s wife, Dora Schwartz, by Jewish leaders throughout the world.