U.S. Jewish Organizations Cable Messages of Grief to Vatican

National Jewish organizations today continued to express their grief over the death yesterday of Pope John XXIII, emphasizing his outspoken friendship to Jews and the affection which Jews throughout the world have felt for him.

The National Community Relations Advisory Council, which formulates the policy for the American Jewish Congress, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish War Veterans of the U. S. A., Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and United Synagogue of America–as well as for 64 regional and local Jewish councils throughout the country–issued a statement declaring that Pope John’s death “is a loss not only to the Church that he headed with such grace, compassion and wisdom, but to the world.” The statement was signed by Lewis H. Weinstein, NCRAC chairman.

The World Council of Synagogues, which has affiliates in 26 countries, cabled a message to the Vatican stating: “Pope John’s saintly insights into the needs and responsibilities of men everywhere have established him as one of the giants of good will in modern history, meriting the age-old Jewish designation of ‘Righteous of all nations’ reserved for those who demonstrate by their lives and deeds their supreme love for God and man.”

Other messages mourning the death of the Pontiff were issued by Rabbi Avraham N. Av Rutick, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the Orthodox rabbinical association; Dore Schary, chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith; Dr. Nelson Glueck, president of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Rabbi Maurice N. Eisendrath, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the Reform congregational body; Mrs. Siegfried Kramarsky, president of Hadassah; Rabbi Nussbaum, president of the Zionist Organization of America, and Mrs. Joseph Willen, president of the National Council of Jewish Women.