Jewish Groups Urge U.S. Congress to Pass Effective Civil Rights Laws

Five national Jewish organizations and 24 local Jewish community councils in various cities joined today in urging Congress to adopt in this session a civil rights bill that will assure effective implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregated public education “with all deliberate speed.”

In statements submitted to both Senate and House committees, the 29 Jewish groups urged “that the 86th Congress take as its principal obligation in the area of civil rights the enactment of legislation authorizing the Department of Justice to seek injunctions against violations of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Other measures advocated by the Jewish groups include:

1. Creation of a Commission on Equal Job Opportunity Under Government Contracts, to eliminate discrimination in employment by firms performing work on contract for the government, and vesting of that Commission with power to issue subpoenas, hold hearings, and issue cease and desist orders enforceable in the courts.

2. Extension of the life of the Commission on Civil Rights established under the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and the broadening of its powers to include investigation of all denials of civil rights.

3. Federal operation of schools for children of federal employees and members of the armed forces who live or work on installations where local public schools are shut down because of the desegregation controversy.

The national organizations include the American Jewish Congress; Jewish Labor Committee; Union of American Hebrew Congregations; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; and the United Synagogue of America.