President Lyndon B. Johnson made known this weekend to a delegation of Jewish leaders that he will make his first address as President before a Jewish group on January 29, when he addresses a dinner in New York in support of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
The President met with a number of friends of Jewish faith at the White House. They included Philip M. Klutznick, communal leader, and former American Ambassador to the United Nations; Abraham A. Feinberg, head of the Israel Bond organization; and Col. Jacob Arvey, of Chicago. Myer Feldman, designated by President Kennedy as White House deputy special counsel and Presidential adviser on Jewish and Israeli issues, participated.
President Johnson displayed detailed knowledge of Jewish affairs and a sensitivity to the world Jewish situation, according to those who spoke with him. The President showed insight into the relationship between the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
The President thought it particularly fitting to accept the invitation conveyed by the leaders who met with him because the late President Kennedy had been scheduled to address the same group on December 5. The dinner was postponed, owing to the assassination of President Kennedy.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
