Jewish Groups Urged to Develop Program to End Social Anti-semitism

The development of a program to remove barriers to the entry of Jews into the upper echelons of American industry and finance–particularly to the top managerial categories–is urged by Dr. John Slawson, executive vice-president of the American Jewish Committee, in a report to the AJC executive board made public today.

Dr. Slawson is of the opinion that industrial and business leaders constitute a group on the American scene that is pivotal in the effort to eliminate discrimination. “As pacesetters and fashion molders, they play a paramount role in establishing the nation’s social standards,” he points out. He therefore urges Jewish groups in this country “to encourage increased involvement of these leaders in community projects devoted to achieving basic human relations goals.”

Declaring that overt anti-Semitism receives neither official nor public sanction at present in the United States, Dr. Slawson stresses the fact that social discrimination against Jews is “the last barricade of anti-Semitism” and must be surmounted. “Today the public frame of mind is receptive to a constructive effort for its elimination,” he asserts.

Referring to a study on civil liberties conducted by Dr. Samuel A. Stouffer of Harvard for the Fund for the Republic, Dr. Slawson says: “The Stouffer study of 50 cities with populations up to 150,000 indicates that such leaders as presidents of chambers of commerce, bar associations and women’s clubs, newspaper publishers, Legion commanders, and even presidents of Daughters of the American Revolution, as an entire group, are more receptive to differences and to dissent than the general community.”

The AJC vice-president expresses the belief that if community leaders of America’s larger cities were studied, similar results would be obtained. “Prof. Stouffer’s finding is encouraging for a program designed to reduce and eliminate social discrimination,” he states. He also draws attention to the fact that the Stouffer studies reveal that American women are more intolerant of dissent and difference than American men.

“As the American corporation continues to expand in size and scope, the opportunity for the individual entrepreneur may gradually contract, “Dr. Slawson says. “Should this occur, top managerial posts would become increasingly important for Jews of ability, because of their relatively rapid upward economic mobility. The National Association of Manufacturers and the Chamber of Commerce of the U. S. could play significant roles in this endeavor. Group relations courses in the curricula of schools of business administration, especially in the refresher courses for executives, would also give impetus to this program,” he suggests.

JEWISH RESENTMENT OF SOCIAL BIAS STRESSED; SELF-SEGREGATION DEPLORED

Pointing out that three-quarters of the Jews in the U.S. are native-born, Dr. Slawson establishes the fact that as Jews are becoming more integrated into American life, their resentment against social anti-Semitism is increasing. He relates data and facts showing the extent to which social bias against Jews exists in this country. He cites, among other things, the fact that in Washington definite restrictions are imposed on the sale of residential properties to Jews in certain areas, which are by no means the more, or the most, expensive.

Not until recently, the AJC vice-president points out, has there been opportunity to undertake extensive action against social anti-Semitism. During the Hitler era, the energies of American Jews were absorbed with the problems of security at home and vast relief operations abroad. It was difficult to cope with the more subtle forms of bigotry, such as social discrimination. Hence, in partial response to continuing social discrimination, “gilded” ghettos came into being Dr. Slawson claims.

“Jews created for themselves “separate but equal”–perhaps in some cases, even superior–facilities” he reports. “Witness Jewish social clubs, golf and other recreational clubs, and certain residential neighborhoods. A certain amount of self-segregation became a pattern that has perpetuated itself. ‘Jewish nationalism,’ whose overt expressions take the form of both self-segregation and chauvinism, developed largely to the extent that barriers to the full participation of Jews in the life of American society were erected by the majority.”

Dr. Slawson reveals that a survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee established that forty percent of adult Jews prefer to live in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods while only 21 percent of the children prefer such environments. The survey–known as the Riverton Study–also established that in seven of ten Jewish homes, anti-Semitism was a repeated topic of family discussion. One of three Jews interviewed expressed the feeling that he lives in an unfriendly environment.

“Jews may attribute to non-Jews attitudes that the latter do not have, at least not to the degree imagined,” Dr. Slawson states. He quotes from studies conducted by Cornell University, financed by a Rockefeller Foundation grant, the following: “Among majority-group members who belonged to an organization that had Jewish members, only 9 percent said they ever found themselves feeling different toward the Jews than toward other members. But among the Jews belonging to mixed organizations percent said they felt the Gentiles felt different toward them.”

“Assuming that the replies of majority-group members are indicative of their actual attitudes toward their Jewish colleagues, then we might infer that there is an indication of over-sensitivity among a substantial proportion of the Jewish members of these groups,” the AJC leader declares.