A number of major Jewish organizations, in a letter today to President Eisenhower, coupled commendation of the President for his emergency action to admit refugees from Communist-oppressed Hungary with renewed criticism of the national origins quota system.
“Had the 84th Congress enacted, instead of summarily dismissing, the bill introduced by Senator Lehman, to allow the use of between 15 percent and 25 percent of the annual quota for purposes of offering asylum to persecutees,” the letter said “you would be enabled now to make available, in your discretion, up to 50,000 visas to those now in flight from Russian terror.”
The letter, which was written on behalf of the American Jewish Congress Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, and United Synagogue of America, was signed by Bernard H. Trager, chairman of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, which comprises, together with the six national, organizations, 36 local, state and regional community councils throughout the country.
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