Plans Under Way to Tackle Problem of Negro Anti-semitism in New York City

Plans for fresh efforts to diminish the problem of anti-Semitic activities stemming from Negro sources were underway this weekend. Mayor John V. Lindsay met with 10 members of the New York Board of Rabbis, which had accused him of failing to act on the issue, particularly as it involved the city Human Rights Commission and teachers in schools in ghetto areas. The meeting was attended by Simeon Golar, a Negro named to head the commission after the Mayor named William H. Booth, to be a judge of the New York City criminal court. Mr. Booth, as head of the commission, had been under fire from Jewish organizations for “a singular insensitivity to anti-Semitic incidents.”

Mr. Golar said that while he would, as chairman, try to fight discrimination against Puerto Ricans and Negroes, he would be equally alert to anti-Semitism and all kinds of racism. Rabbi Gilbert Klaperman, president of the rabbinical board, who headed the delegation, said after the meeting that he had discussed with Mr. Lindsay “the need for establishing lines of communication with all groups,” including between Jews and Negroes. He said he was favorably impressed with Mr. Golar.

At another City Hall conference, religious, political, union and civic leaders, headed by Bernard Botein, former presiding justice of the Appellate Division, discussed racial tensions. Mr. Botein said that the Mayor had called the meeting to start some programs of action — “translating goodwill statements into goodwill works.” Justice Botein said that there would be a meeting of black, white Christian and Jewish clergy who will be asked to preach a doctrine of understanding from their pulpits and to carry a message on religious and racial understanding into their parishes. Among those at the conference were Archbishop Terence J. Cooke of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Rabbi Klaperman, former Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Goldberg, Sen. Jacob Javits and Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. president of the Central Labor Council.

In a related development, an official of radio station WBAI announced that invitations had been extended to a number of Jewish groups, as well as to the United Federation of Teachers, to join in cooperative efforts to use the station to keep the community informed. Dr. Harold Taylor, chairman of the WBAI board, said invitations had been extended to the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the American Jewish Congress, Workmen’s Circle, the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, the Jewish Defense League and the New York Board of Rabbis. He said groups associated with the black community had received the same invitation. He said that Albert Shanker, president of the UFT and target of an anti-Semitic poem read on the air, had agreed to speak on WBAI “as soon as possible.” Dr. Taylor also called the poem “morally, politically and socially repulsive” but also described the reading as showing “the existing reality of how some school kids reacted to the teachers strike” last year by the UFT. He defended the WBAI program directed by Julius Lester, a Negro militant, on which Campbell read the poem and on which another Negro said Hitler had not killed enough Jews.

CCAR HITS RACISM, URGES JEWRY TO CONTINUE AIDING RIGHTS MOVEMENT

In a statement condemning all manifestation of racism, lawlessness and violence, “whether black or white,'” the Central Conference of American Rabbis has urged Jews to continue active participation in the civil rights effort and oppose a split between Negroes and Jews because of anti-Semitism of militant blacks. The plea was contained in the Reform rabbinical agency’s annual message for Race Relations Sabbath, observed in conjunction with Lincoln’s birthday. Referring to current outbreaks of Negro anti-Semitism, the statement denounced “racism in any form, whether the anti-Semitic ravings of white Nazis or black agitators.”

The 1,000-member organization urged Jewish builders, Realtors and defense agencies to play “a significant role” in the building of open housing, and asked Jewish employers, labor leaders and institutions to seek more jobs for Negroes. Jewish teachers, students and schools were urged to be active in helping to reduce Negro illiteracy. The CCAR called particularly for vigilance by Jews to make sure that the Nixon Administration did not retrench programs for the rebuilding of the urban ghetto or abandon the poor.