Israelis Address Conference of Social Workers in Washington

Extensive Israeli participation highlighted various aspects of the 13th International Conference of Social Work in session here with delegates from more than 60 nations including Arab states.

Dr. Moshe A. Kurtz, the official head of the Israeli delegation, is director general of the Israeli Ministry of Social Welfare. Dr. Kurtz served as a member of the permanent committee that planned the conference attended by over 3,000 delegates and helped change the constitution of the group to broaden its scope. He took part also in the meeting of representatives of Ministries of Social Welfare concerned with international social welfare.

Dr. Louis Miller, director of mental health services of the Israeli Health Ministry, addressed the ICSW general meeting on “special programs to deal with the stresses of urban life — mental health aspects.” Dr. Miller is a prominent Israeli psychiatrist.

Mrs. Nava Arad, general secretary of the Union of Israeli Social Welfare Workers, served as rapporteur in a study group on the role of the school. Dr. Israel Katz, director of the Hebrew University School of Social Work, attended the international meeting of schools of social work. Jona Rosenfeld of the Hebrew University school of social work was a panel member of a meeting on research in urban development.

Another Israeli attending the conference was an Arab citizen, Ary Arbid, who is temporarily working in Toronto, Canada for the Jewish Family Welfare Agency. Other Israelis participating are Pinchas Frank, head of the communal welfare department of “Amidar” Housing Company; Dorothy Cohen, of the Tel Aviv Municipal Department of Social Work; Raya Fein of the Haifa Municipal Department of Social Work, Dina Lieberman and Chana Weil of the Hebrew University school of social work and Mordechai Wertheimer, deputy director general.