Representatives of 57 local community relations organizations and six national agencies, meeting here in a four-day plenary session of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, called on the United States Government today for action to implement its pledges to protect the rights of American Jews infringed by the Arab boycott. The resolution voiced concern over “continued acquiescence” by the Government in Arab discriminations against American Jews, and called for a three-pronged Government proposal to nullify it.
The resolution was one of a number adopted by the conference, covering the situation in the Middle East, civil rights in the United States, Federal aid to education, and immigration. The conference also debated and approved a joint program plan for Jewish community relations during the coming year, covering the main problems and issues expected to confront the Jewish community. The recommendations will be distributed to community agencies as a general guide-line later in the year.
Endorsement of the principles laid down in the program plan followed four days of intensive discussion of the major issues facing the community. Among the problems considered were that of coping with overt anti-Semitism in the U. S.; the community relations implications of developments in the Middle East; inter-religious relations and Church-State issues; and civil rights. One session of the conference was devoted to reports on the effects of the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem on American public opinion, and on the American Jewish community.
In other resolutions on the Middle East situation, the conference condemned the Arab blockade of Israel. It urged the U.S. Government to “give practical and active support to the right of American shippers to trade freely in all ports, and to assure their right to transport American military supplies and surplus commodities without interference by Arab governments.” The resolution also called on American commercial and business firms “to resist the Arab boycott by every legal means.”
DEAL WITH ARAB REFUGEES, EICHMANN CASE, DOMESTIC PROBLEMS
The conference took note of recent developments in the Palestine Arab Refugee situation, and warned against attempts to force a solution of the question at the expense of Israel. It asserted that “a viable solution of the Arab refugee problem is possible only within the framework of a general solution providing for the establishment of a just and stable peace in the Middle East.” The resolution warned that “it is unreasonable, unwise, and dangerous to suggest that Israel unilaterally agree to the repatriation of any of the refugees without concomittant undertaking by the Arab states to resettle the greater number, so that the festering problem can be liquidated.”
The resolution urged that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency increase emphasis in its programs on retraining and rehabilitation of refugees preparatory to resettlement; called on the U.S. Government to continue to contribute to the UNRWA budget “despite the inequitable financial burden imposed on us by Soviet and Arab refusal to cooperate equitably,” and urged the American delegation to the UN to press for resettlement of the Arab refugees in Arab lands as the essential solution of their plight, “the continuance of which so seriously threatens the peace of the region.”
In another resolution, the outgrowth of discussion on the Eichmann case, the conference called on the U.S. to ratify the International Convention on Genocide. It asked President Kennedy to seek prompt Senate ratification of the Convention, which it described as “aimed at preventing mass destruction of any national, racial, religious or ethnic group.”
On domestic issues, the conference adopted a resolution calling for Federal aid to public schools, staunchly opposing Government aid in any form to elementary and secondary schools supervised or controlled by any religious denomination. The resolution made it clear that this opposition did not extend to provision of lunches, medical and dental services and other welfare aids to children.
ORTHODOX GROUP ABSTAINS ON EDUCATION; PLENARY AGREES ON OTHER VITAL ISSUES
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America abstained from the vote on this resolution, which stressed that “governmental financial assistance to religiously controlled schools would tend to undermine religious freedom or religious institutions.” The resolution expressed the conviction that such aid would “pose the danger of Government control of religious schools.” It said that Government aid in any form to religious groups would constitute an impairment of the tradition of separation of Church and State.
The resolution noted that “consistent with the American doctrine of the separation of Church and State, American Jewry, entirely within its own resources, has freely devoted itself to the preservation and enhancement of Jewish traditions. Toward realization of this goal., it has created and maintained its own schools for the religious education of its children, as have other religious communities. This is the road to freedom for all Americans.”
In a resolution summarizing its position on civil rights issues, the conference commended the Kennedy Administration for the steps it had taken to assure full equality for all Americans without regard to race, religion, or national origin. It declared, however, that the steps taken were “counter-active measures designed to deal with the crisis situations,” and pointed out that “such a piecemeal approach is inadequate to the civil rights problems of the 1960’s.” It called for “an integrated, positive Federal program to make the constitutionally guaranteed civil rights of all our people a living fact of American life.”
It called especially for implementation of Democratic Party platform pledges to eliminate the poll tax and literacy test for voters, establishment of a Federal FEPC, an expanded Civil Rights Commission, aid to school districts seeking to comply with desegregation rulings, and elimination of the Senate filibuster through amendment of the cloture rule. The resolution asked President Kennedy to prohibit discrimination in all Government facilities and services and Federal grant and loan programs, to direct the Attorney General to initiate civil injunction suits to prevent violation of constitutional rights; and to establish a community relations service in the Federal Government.
Another resolution asked President Kennedy to replace the present national origins quota system “with an equitable, non-discriminatory formula for admission of those seeking to enter the U.S. as immigrants”; to eliminate deportation provisions in the present law; to correct inequities in favor of the native-born over naturalized citizens; and to establish a fair appeals procedure in immigration and nationality matters.
WEINSTEIN RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN; OTHER OFFICERS CHOSEN
The chairman of the NCRAC, Lewis H. Weinstein, of Boston, said in an address that the U.S. must resolve racial and religious tensions, in order “to provide assurance that democracy will triumph over the forces of Communism and other brands of totalitarianism.”
Mr. Weinstein cited the violence in the South, activities of White Citizens Councils, intimidation of Negro citizens seeking to vote, and other harassments of “citizens seeking equal opportunities in education, employment, housing and access to the ballot.”
Mr. Weinstein was reelected chairman of the council. Vice-chairmen elected were Louis Feinmark, New Haven; Julian Freeman, Indianapolis. Marcus Ginsburg, Fort Worth; Aaron Goldman, Washington, D. C; Irving Kane, Cleveland; Bernard H. Trager, Bridgeport; David L. Ullman, Philadelphia; and Isaac Pacht, Los Angeles. Others elected were Joseph X. Yaffe, Philadelphia, treasurer; E. T. Eeinstein, St. Louis, secretary; and I. M. Minkoff, executive director.
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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.
