Maurice Orbach, who had been a Labor member of Parliament since 1946 and prominent leader of Anglo Jewry, died here Tuesday at the age of 76. He was active in the World Jewish Congress and in 1954 was sent on a mission to Cairo to save the lives of Jews sentenced to death for their part in the so-called Lavon affair. Orbach later claimed that President Gamal Abdel Nasser agreed to spare their lives, but broke his promise in order to balance their deaths with his execution of Moslers Brotherhood members.
In Britain, Orbach established the Trades Advisory Council, a committee of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, aimed at countering anti-Semitism in business life during World War ll. He remained its secretary until his death.
A stalwart Zionist, he was a founder of the Labor Friends of Israel. Although he was not seeking reelection in the present general election, Orbach had been looking forward to an active retirement. His death came as a shock to his many friends in the Jewish community, in Parliament and the British labor movement.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
