American Jewish organizations were unanimous today in their praise of President Carter, Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for the achievements of the Camp David conference. They expressed the hope that it would lead to peace in the Middle East.
Some Jewish organizations sent telegrams of congratulations to one or more of the three principal participants at the summit. Carter was urged by some to continue his role as mediator, allowing direct negotiations between Israel and Egypt. Other Jewish groups expressed concern that the agreements were attacked so swiftly by other Arab countries.
In New Orleans, where some 2000 persons were attending the B’nai B’rith International Convention, the delegates, led by 160 Israelis, burst into the spontaneous singing of “Havenu Shalom Aleichem” when they heard Begin say in Hebrew that there will be peace in the Middle East for this and future generations. Following the meeting, the crowd massed in a shopping mall outside where they celebrated with dance and song to Israeli music.
Those issuing statements today were: Rabbi Israel Miller, president of the American Zionist Federation; Burton M. Joseph, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith; David Smerling, president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Edgar L. Cadden, general chairman of the Jewish United Fund and James P. Rice, executive vice-president of the Federation-JUF; Richard Maass, president of the American Jewish Committee; Sam Rothberg, general chairman of the Israel Bond Organization; Rabbi Saul I. Teplitz, president and Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, executive vice-president of the Rabbinical Assembly.
Ivan J. Novick, president of the Zionist Organization of America; I.K. Goldstein, president of the Labor Zionist Alliance; Simon Schwartz, president of the United Synagogue of America; David Zucker, president of the World Council of Synagogues; Rabbi Israel Miller, chairman, and Bennett Yanowitz, vice-chairman of the Israel Task Force of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council; Raymond Epstein, chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago; Theodore R. Mann, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; and Howard M. Squadron, president of the American Jewish Congress.
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