Leaders of Jewish Federations Ask Admission of Jews to Palestine, United States

Action on the admission of Jewish refugees to Palestine, the United States and other countries, on the present critical situation in Palestine, the development of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, coordination of fund-raising activities, and meeting overseas Jewish needs, highlighter discussions conducted by the Western States Regional Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds which concluded its three-day session here.

Over 250 leaders of communities in the ten state area comprising Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Western Canada, unanimously elected Max H. Block of Seattle, president of the region; Judge Jacob Weinberger of Los Angeles and Marcel Hirsch of San Francisco, vice-presidents, and Irving Schneider of Long Beach, treasurer.

Action on Palestine followed the address by Bartley C. Crum, member of the Anglo-American Commission to Palestine, and was unanimous. The assembly called upon the United States Government to use its good offices to open Palestine to Jewish immigration within the limits set by the Jewish Agency; condemned acts of terrorism in Palestine whether by Jews, Arabs or British officials; applauded “the resolute spirit and patience displayed by the Yishuv in face of unconscionable trials;” and condemned the British Government for its policy of penalizing the entire Jewish population of Palestine for acts committed by a few, and for its delaying tactics “which are keeping 250,000 victims of Nazism behind barbed wire enclosures in Germany, Austria, Italy and Cyprus.”

STATE DEPARTMENT IS URGED TO PUBLISH ITS FILES ON EX-MUFTI

Other resolutions called upon the U.S. State Department to publish its files “relating to the Grand Mufti’s partnership with Nazism and his crimes of murder; “requested U.S. intervention to help Jewish immigrants to be admitted to the various countries of the world ; and endorsed the program and objectives of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, recommending that it undertake a national study of anti-Semitism in cooperation with its constituent bodies and called upon N.C.R.A.C. to push vigorously all programs of social legislation such as F.E.P.C.

The conference endorsed the 1947 United Jewish Appeal campaign and called for the realization of all its objectives. It commended also the non-Jewish contributions which were made to the 1946 drive and the development of women’s and youth’s divisions. The Budget Clinic held during the conference urged the national coordination of related fund-raising drives and supported a special study of tuberculosis needs and services by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

The various sessions noted the strengthening of central community organization, national coordination, local and national planning for community relations, fund-raising methods, family welfare and vocational services. The speakers included Henry Epstein of New York, chairman of the N.C.R.A.C.; Philip Bernastein of New York, associate director of the Council; Joseph Beck of New York, executive director of the United Service for New Americans; and Leo Gallin, executive director of the Los Angeles Jewish Community Council.