Major Jewish Religious, Secular Bodies to Join Washington March, Aug. 28

As Washington girded for the massive August 28 “March for Jobs and Freedom” under the leadership of Negro organizations but with the participation of many other groups, including broad representation from American Jewry, reports poured in from all parts of the United States today of Jewish concern on the racial issue.

Every one of the major Jewish religious organizations has announced that many congregational members, and in many instances the key rabbinical and lay leaders, will march in the parade and participate in the rallies to be held here that day.

Officially participating will be the Synagogue Council of America, the organization representing the Orthodox, Reform and Conservative branches of American Judaism; the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Jewish Labor Committee, Farband, and New York’s Allied Hebrew Trades.

In the Reform movement, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Central Conference of American Rabbis announced they had called on all their lay and rabbinical members in the country’s 650 Reform congregations to join the march.

The United Synagogue of America, Conservative, announced that, among the leaders of that movement to march in Washington, will be United Synagogue’s president, George Maisen; Rabbi Simon Greenberg, vice chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Rabbi Bernard Segal, executive director; and Rabbi Morris Laub, director of the organization’s Joint Commission on Social Action.

The American Jewish Committee’s endorsement of the march, issued today, called on all its members “to participate in this peaceful demonstration.” The Committee voted $1, 000 to help meet the expenses of the demonstration. It also named a special committee, headed by Irving M. Engel, AJC honorary president, to guide a program of activities for cooperation with Federal and local authorities to ameliorate the current civil rights emergency.

LOCAL ACTIONS TAKEN IN NEW YORK, MILWAUKEE, ROCHESTER, LONG BEACH

Reports of related actions were coming in here from all over the United States. In New York, the local section of the National Council of Jewish Women urged its members to launch a letter-writing campaign to the State’s members in Congress, requesting support of President Kennedy’s civil rights program now pending in Washington.

In Milwaukee, the Jewish Council announced it would treat the struggle of the American Negro for full civil rights, particularly developments in the Milwaukee area, as a matter of priority concern. Albert G. Goldberg, president, said that it was necessary that all individuals and institutions in the Jewish community make their own policies “exemplars” of equal opportunity.

In Rochester, N. Y., the Jewish Community Council announced its co-sponsorship of a tri faith Conference on Race and Religion, to be held there in October. The other major participants will be the local Catholic Interracial Council and the Rochester Area Council of Churches (Protestant).

At Long Beach, Calif., the Jewish Council Federation joined the area’s Council of Churches in circulating petitions to homeowners and renters, urging all to pledge in writing not to discriminate against any applicants because of “their race or creed.”