Jewish Publishers Charge Council for Judaism with Harming U.S. Jewry

The American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers today concluded its annual convention here with the adoption of a resolution charging the anti-Zionist American Council for Judaism with hurting relations between American non-Jews and Jews.

The publishers, representing 28 weeklies in 22 states, said in the resolution it was their “considered opinion” that the ACJ “cannot be accepted as one of the ethically functioning organizations whose efforts are expended constructively for the benefit of society.” The resolution said that the aims and actions of the anti-Zionist group “have proved detrimental to Jewish life. Its leadership speaks in terms of blind hatred. Its membership, limited in numbers, is for the most part ignorant of the issues which a few pitifully confused men create.”

Denying claims of the American Council for Judaism to pose “as a representative of and spokesman by mandate for Americans of the Jewish faith,” the publishers said the group’s “sloganized references to religion, to education, to philanthropy present it as an entity in Jewish life to the millions of Americans who appreciate these qualities in their neighbors.” These non-Jewish Americans, the publishers said, inevitably give some credence to the organization’s “constantly repeated implication” that Jews who support the cause of Israel “cannot be loyal Americans.”

The American Council for Judaism deliberately “besmirches the good name and impugns the patriotic character of American Jews” and “undermines the fine community spirit, the happy relationship, the treasured brotherhood” which unites American Jews and non-Jews “in their common search for security and happiness,” the resolution said. “It is the hope of the English-Jewish publishers that the membership of the American Council for Judaism will repudiate the program initiated and pursued by its leadership,” the publishers declared.

Abraham Slabot, editor and publisher of the Jewish Ledger of New Orleans, was elected to a second term as president of the publishers Association. J.L. Fishbein, publisher of the Sentinel of Chicago; Morris Janoff, publisher of the Jewish Standard of Jersey City; and Arthur Weyne, publisher of the Jewish Record of Atlantic City, N. J., were reelected vice-presidents. James Wisch, publisher of the Texas Jewish Post of Fort Worth, was named again to the post of secretary. Adolph Rosenberg, publisher of the Southern Israelite of Atlanta was chosen again as treasurer.

The publishers again elected to the executive committee the following: Leo H. Frisch, publisher of the American Jewish World of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Albert W. Golomb, publisher of the American Jewish Outlook of Pittsburgh; Elias R. Jacobs, publisher of the Buffalo Jewish Review of Buffalo, N. Y.; Myer Keleman of the B’nai B’rith Messenger of Los Angeles; Jules D. Miller, publisher of the Jewish Exponent of Philadelphia; and Joseph Weisberg, publisher of the Jewish Advocate of Boston. Philip Slomovitz, publisher of the Jewish News of Detroit; Fred K. Shocket, publisher of the Jewish Floridian of Miami, and Jacques Back, publisher of the Observer of Nashville, Tenn., were named again ex-officio members of the executive committee.