Leaders of Jewish communities from all parts of the country will gather in New York at an extraordinary one-day conference called by the United Jewish Appeal to weigh American Jewry’s role in the light of Israel’s being thrust into an emergency of grave danger, it was announced today by Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, UJA executive vice-chairman. The meeting will take place on Friday, November 18, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
“The meeting,” said Rabbi Friedman, “will seek to formulate plans to relieve the people of Israel of financing refugee immigration at a time when they find themselves threatened by Communist arming of Egypt. These plans,” he continued, “involve the taking over by American Jews of full responsibility for financing the transfer and resettlement of Jews who are anxious to quit North Africa for Israel.”
Rabbi Friedman pointed out that, “despite present dangers, the Israel Government and Israel’s people are determined to keep their doors open to continued Jewish immigration. Any abrogation of this policy, especially at this time, would serve to condemn to hopelessness scores of thousands of Jews in North Africa who feel they have no future, save in Israel.”
The November 18 meeting will be presided over by William Rosenwald, general chairman of the UJA. Principal speakers will include Avraham Harman, Deputy Director-General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, UJA president Edward M.M. Warburg and Rabbi Friedman. The three UJA leaders headed a 60-member UJA Overseas Study Mission which has just returned from an intensive survey of Jewish needs in Europe and Israel. The meeting will provide the first opportunity for the mission to report its findings.
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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.
