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Jewish Leaders Confer with Portillo

February 23, 1977
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A group of 14 American Jewish leaders told Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo that his country’s recent votes in the United Nations had “done much to ease past strains.” This was the second time Lopez Portillo had met with representatives of the American Jewish community in the U.S. The first meeting was held last September, when he visited Washington as President-elect at the invitation of then President Ford.

Following the one-hour meeting at Blair House last Thursday, Elmer L. Winter, president of the American Jewish Committee which had arranged the event, described the discussion as “most cordial.” David Blumberg, president of B’nai B’rith, and Joel H. Levy a member of the executive committee of the AJ Congress, informed Lopez Portillo that the tour program to Mexico operated by their organizations had been reinstated.

At the conclusion of the conversation, Winter, speaking on behalf of the group, expressed the hope that the traditional friendly relationship between the United States and Mexico had been reinforced. Winter presented the Mexican President with a two-volume set of the book “Jewish Art and Civilization” by Geoffrey Wigoder.

Jewish leaders, in addition to officials from the AJ Committee, AJ Congress and B’nai B’rith, who met with Lopez Portillo and other Mexican officials, included Albert Chernin, executive vice-chairman, National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council; Theodore Comet, overseas director, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds; and Jacques Torczyner, chairman, World Jewish Congress-American Section.

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