The Labor Zionist Alliance–formed this weekend by the merger of Farband–Labor Zionist Order; Poale Zion, the United Labor Zionist Organization of America, and the American Habonim Association–closed its meetings yesterday by passing resolutions on various issues.
The Alliance encouraged Hebrew, Yiddish and Jewish-studies courses in public high schools and colleges; asserted that “the influence of the total Labor Zionism Movement must be used to urge Jewish communities to establish and support broad-based institutions of Jewish learning,” and recommended at least one year’s study in Israel.
Jewish education, the Alliance added, should be the top community priority of American Jewry. The convention endorsed scatter-site low-income housing “with proper consultation and involvement of the community affected,” and urged “constructive efforts on behalf of the Jewish poor of the US who have long been overlooked in the general attack on poverty.”
Internationally, it called on Washington to maintain the Middle East balance of power in view of the “new and dangerous arms imbalance” created by the Soviet Union; supported the attempts to “help Israel narrow the gap between its human needs and its available resources”; recommended increased aliya to Israel; called for “continued and strengthened efforts in responsible militant action, barring violence or terrorism” in behalf of Soviet Jewry; and urged “civilized mankind” to help “alleviate the suffering” of Jews in Arab lands, especially Syria.
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