Jewish leaders from the United States, Israel and Europe held a two-day meeting here, which ended today, to explore Jewish community and social welfare problems of common interest to Jewries in all three areas. It was the first such meeting ever held.
Participating organizations were the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, the Standing Conference of European Jewish Community Services and the American Joint Distribution Committee. The JDC served as host.
Subjects discussed during the sessions included Jewish education, Jewish community centers and youth activities, fund-raising, personnel recruiting and training, and means of combatting assimilatory trends. Speakers included Dr. Nahum Goldmann, Charles H. Jordan, European director general of the JDC, presided.
At the close of the discussions, a joint statement on the purposes and results of the meeting was issued by Dr. Astore Mayer of Milan, chairman of the Standing Conference; Zvi Lurie of Jerusalem, director of the Organization Department of the Jewish Agency; Irving Kane of Cleveland, former president and chairman of the overseas service committee of the CJFWF, and Mr. Jordan.
“The strengthening of Jewish community life, the welfare of the needy and the promotion of positive Jewish identification among members of the community have been matters of Jewish concern from time immemorial,” the statement said. “Thus we called this meeting to discuss these common aims and the problems arising in their fulfilment.”
10,000,000 JEWS IN FREE WORLD REPRESENTED AT THE DISCUSSIONS
Commenting that the number of Jews in the communities represented at the meeting was close to 10,000,000, the statement added that “the vast majority of these Jews live in freedom to practice their faiths and beliefs.”
“We came to no definite conclusions at this meeting,” the statement continued. “It was the first such meeting ever called and it was an exploratory meeting to discuss “Jewish community and welfare problems.”
The statement noted that there was a sufficient community of opinion to warrant further action leading to definite conclusions and programs. “We have made a beginning and it may well lead to a program of mutual cooperation for Jews throughout the world on those non-political goals on which all Jews can unite,” the statement said.
The need to open more Jewish schools and to further contribute to the strengthening of the French Jewish community was stressed at another Jewish conference in Paris. The occasion was an extraordinary conclave called by the French Zionist Federation as a sequel to the 26th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem last month. Speakers agreed that one of the best ways to strengthen the 500,000-member French Jewish community was by encouraging the community’s cultural life, with schools and other institutes of learning. Dr. Goldmann addressed the delegates.
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