The American Jewish community must be prepared ? accept world leadership in Jewish culture and thought, Dr. Salo W. Baron, professor of Jewish History and Institutions at Columbia University said today, calling for the broadening and expansion of efforts to assure Judaism a continued creative evolution in a modern world. He spoke at the opening session of the National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.
Other principal speakers at the initial meeting of the conference, which is being attended by 800 Jewish welfare and educational leaders, were Harold Silver, director of the Jewish Social Service Bureau of Detroit and president of the National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare, and Dr. Alvin Thalheimer, president of the Associated Jewish Charities of Baltimore.
Dr. Baron outlined a four-point program of action which, he said, must supplement all present undertakings, if American Jewry is to assume the responsibilities of leadership. The program included: 1. The broadening of Jewish historical knowledge. 2. A fuller understanding of the contemporary situation. 3. The stimulation of creative thinking, writing and artistic endeavors, 4. The promotion of an understanding of Jewish cultural and religious values among the masses of Jews and non-Jewish.
Dr. Thalheimer urged social welfare agencies and social workers to become a more important element in the total life of American Jewry. He said that “the social welfare agency has the opportunity to become the principal feature of the organizational structure within which Jewish life continues. To attain this status, however, not only must an ever increasing portion of the Jewish population take advantage of the expert guidance which the professional case-workers offer, benefit from the schools that are under the supervision of community agencies, and attend the settlement houses which have been transformed into community centers, but an even larger group must be imbued with a philosophy and share in the activities of our social welfare organizations.”
The conference, which is meeting in conjunction with the National Association of Jewish Center Workers and the National Council for Jewish Education, will continue through Wednesday, devoting itself to a series of lectures, panel discussions, and ?eminars.
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