Jewish Communities Act on Coordination of Community Relations Work

The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds today reported that federations, welfare funds and community councils which have taken action to date on the issue of greater national coordination in the work of Jewish groups engaged in combatting anti-Semitism in this country, have all–with the exception of two–endorsed the resolutions adopted to this effect by the National Community Relations Advisory Council and by the C.J.F.W.F.

The two community organizations which differed from the others are the Jewish Community Council of Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation of Youngstown. However, the Los Angeles Community Council asked all national community relations agencies to provide the C.J.F.W.F. with comprehensive data on their operations, and that the C.J.F.W.F. have representation of its own choosing on the executive committees of all community relations agencies. It reported that “there appears to be no consensus in the Los Angeles community” beyond that recommendation.

“Those community organizations which have met most recently have also approved the report of the Evaluative Studies Committee on a specific plan for division of labor among the agencies engaged in community relations work,” the C.J.F.W.F. report said. It added that “action by the communities has followed careful study by committees, widespread distribution of informative reports, and detailed discussion.”

DETROIT, BOSTON, CLEVELAND, MIAMI URGE AGREEMENT ON ISSUES

In Detroit, the report said, the Board of Governors of the local Jewish Welfare Federation endorsed the recommendations of the Evaluative Studies Committee on division of labor, and the recommendation of the committee on financing for a national budget review of the community relations agencies. There was only one dissenting vote.

In Boston, similar action was taken by the Board of the Combined Jewish Appeal, with a vote of 34 to 4. It expressed the hope “that through negotiation and conciliation unanimous agreement on these issues may be achieved among the national and local agencies.” In Cleveland, the vote of the Assembly of the Jewish Community Federation was 62 to 15.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation Board of Governors approved the action of the Evaluative Studies Committee, and called for “continuous re-assessment and cooperative scientific study of the basic goals and directions of Jewish community relations work, integrated program planning for the entire field with logical and practical division of labor, strengthening of the N.C.R.A.C. as the instrument of all agencies for overall planning in Jewish community relations, with appropriate powers and authority to formulate policies and plans, to work out divisions of labor, and to act on its majority decisions.”

The Jewish Welfare Fund of Milwaukee approved the principles of the C.J.F.W.F. General Assembly and of the Evaluative Studies Committee. The vote on division of labor and strengthening the N.C.R.A.C. was 24 to 8, the vote on improved financing through national budget review was unanimous. It asked that representatives of intermediate and small, as well as large cities, should be included in the budget review committee.

The Buffalo United Jewish Federation, by a vote of 27 to 2, took action that “approved and supports the current movement for greater coordination of the work of the national community relations agencies, looking to the allocation of functions and the elimination of needless duplication. We feel,” the Buffalo Federation stated. “that there should be some form of national organization in which committees of local federations and community relations councils are represented for the purpose of attaining these ends. It would be expected, of course, that such a national organization, in allocating functions, would give due recognition to the existence of different points of view and to the possible need for more than one agency operating in a given field.”

The Memphis Jewish Welfare Fund unanimously endorsed in principle the recommendations of the report by Dr. Robert M. Maclver, and the subsequent action of the N.C.R.A.C. and the C.J.F.W.F. It called upon all concerned with Jewish community relations to join together in a spirit of cooperation to achieve these desirable objectives: It Joint program planning and division of labor among national agencies to prevent duplication and needless expense; 2. A realistic budgetary plan to prevent confusion and needless competition for the welfare dollar; 3.The strengthening of N.C.R.A.C. as an instrument for overall planning.

As examples of the other federations, welfare funds, and community councils, both large and small, which have taken official action calling for improved planning and coordination of national community relations work, usually with division of labor and improved financing, the C.J.F.W.F. reported New Haven, Rochester, Worcester, Bridgeport, Akron, Springfield (Mass), Oakland, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Little Rock, Des Moines, Kansas City, St. Paul, Sioux City, Canton, Flint, New Britain, Holyoke, Camden, Waterbury, and others.