Jewish Men’s Clubs Oppose Government Aid to Religious Schools

Strong opposition was expressed today by delegates at the 33rd annual convention of the National Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs to “governmental aid to any religious organization,” including aid to “denominational, sectarian or parochial schools.”

The 1,000 delegates took this position in one of a series of resolutions at the close of the convention here. They also re-elected Philip Goldstein of Washington, D. C., to a second term as president.

In another resolution, the delegates asked members of the organization’s 330 Men’s Clubs to support repeal of Sunday closing laws in states having them and, where repeal was unlikely, to make efforts to obtain “exemptions for persons who, for religions reasons, observe a Sabbath other than Sunday.”

They also urged that any state legislation on human slaughter should follow the lead of Federal law by defining schechita, Jewish ritual slaughter, as humane and that such state measures should “allow methods of preparation and handling prior to schechita, which are in accord with established and sanctioned Jewish practice.” The delegates added that if any state law banned these preparatory steps, schechita would in effect be negated in that state.

In another resolution, the delegates charged that the real purpose of ultra right-wing groups was “to abolish laws intended for the welfare of minorities and to prevent enactment of civil rights measures benefitting such minorities.” The delegates urged members of the constituent organizations of Conservative Judaism “not to allow themselves to be intimidated by people whose loudly acclaimed Americanism is actually only reactionary propaganda.”

The delegates appealed to the Congress to adopt amendments to the Mutual Security Aid to deny United States Government aid “in any form to any government practicing economic boycotts against any other Government or people of a country friendly to the United States.” The delegates also contended that “equal protection” under United States law “must be given to Americans of all faiths wishing to travel to any country with which the United States has diplomatic relations, without discrimination on grounds of race, religion or creed.”

They also asked for United States action in the United Nations to condemn Arab “discrimination against Jewish citizens of the United States arising from the Arab boycott and blockade of Israel.” They noted, in the resolution, that the United States delegation had led the move in the Security Council for the vote of censure against Israel “for exercising its right of self-defense against the aggressions and provocations of the Syrian Arab Republic.” The delegates described the censure vote as “another instance where all the facts were not properly presented and considered before hasty action was taken.”