The 2500 delegates representing Jewish communities of North America and abroad attending the 43rd General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds (CJF) adopted 12 resolutions last night covering a wide range of Jewish concerns. The resolutions-dealt with the 1975 campaign to meet “massive needs in Israel and here at home”; peace in the Middle East; Soviet Jewry and the plight of Jews in Syria; urban problems; poverty; the American bicentennial and the CJF’s Institute of Jewish Life.
No goal-was set for the 1975 campaign. But the resolution noted that while the $725 million raised in 1974 In the communities of the U.S. and Canada “dwarfed every previous achievement,” It “fell short” of meeting the global human needs and ” the requirements are even greater in 1975.” The resolution stated that Israel looks to “the Jews of the world to help provide the tens of thousands of immigrants who continue to pour in, to help support those already there and to help build the kind of society which is Israel’s historic purpose.”
The resolution relating to the Middle East condemned the United Nations General Assembly for permitting the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in its debate. It commended the United States for opposing that act and declared that admitting the PLO “sanctioned terror debased the international organization and obstructed the prospect of peace.”
The resolution lauded the actions of President Ford, Secretary of State Henry A, Kissinger and Congress for “providing the economic and military aid indispensable to Israel’s survival and in the vital interests of the U.S. Congress was urged to “speedily approve provisions in the 1975 Foreign Aid Bill which authorizes $250 million in supportive assistance grants to ease Israel’s severe economic burden and $300 million ($100 million in grants) in military credit sales.”
BIGHTS OF SOVIET, SOVIET JEWRY STRESSED
The resolution on Soviet Jewry urged utmost vigilance” to assure full Soviet compliance” with the terms set forth in the Jackson/Mills-Vanik amendment to the foreign trade bill. It called on the Soviet authorities to release immediately Jewish prisoners of conscience; permit all Soviet Jews who wish to, to leave for Israel or any country of their choice; to allow those who have been waiting longest to leave soonest; and to cease all forms of police, Juridical and bureaucratic harassment of Jews wishing to leave.
Similarly, the “right to emigrate or travel abroad” was urged for the Jews of Syria. The CJP called on the governments of the U.S. and Canada to intensify their efforts to persuade the Syrian authorities to end their persecution of Jews and to grant Syrian Jews their basic human rights.
The resolution on poverty among Jews in the U.S. and Canada called on the governments to provide greater resources than can be provided by the voluntary agencies. The CJF voted to continue the Institute of Jewish Life for a fourth year ending June 30, 1976. A further determination will be made at the 44th General Assembly next year.
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