Label Katz Heads Conference of Presidents of Jewish Organizations

Label A. Katz of New Orleans, president of B’nai B’rith, today was elected chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He succeeds Philip M. Klutznick, former president of B’nai B’rith.

The Conference is a group of 17 presidents of national organizations that concern themselves with American-Israel affairs. It was established six years ago as an informal assembly with Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, as its head. Preliminary steps to formalize the group were accomplished last year at which time Mr. Klutznick was elected Conference chairman.

In an acceptance statement, Mr. Katz commended the “voluntary nature” of the Presidents Conference. He said the Conference had in past years “demonstrated its value as a forum where divergent organizational loyalties committed to common goals can coordinate their efforts and strength and thereby achieve the highest degree of Jewish unity in keeping with the voluntary character of the American Jewish community.”

Last month Mr. Klutznick announced a set of policies adopted by the 17 presidents that provides the Conference with a basic formal structure as a forum for consultation and cooperative action. The 17 constituent organizations in the president’s conference are:

American Israel Public Affairs Committee, American Jewish Congress, American Trade Union Council for Labor Israel, American Zionist. Council, B’nai B’rith, Hadassah, Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans, Labor Zionist Assembly, Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi, National Community Relations Advisory Council, National Council of Jewish Women, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, United Synagogue of America, and the Zionist Organization of America.