The formalization of the World Council on Jewish Education, first proposed at a world conference on Jewish education five years ago in Israel, moved closer to completion here today as an international body to strengthen Jewish education throughout the world. But developments here, at a meeting of the Council’s presidium, make it evident that it will take another year before the Council becomes a formal entity.
In a step toward establishing the Council as a permanent body, the 12-member presidium today appointed Dr. Azriel Eisenberg, former executive vice-president of the Jewish Education Committee of New York, as executive director of the Council. The presidium also elected as its chairman, Rabbi Joseph Lookstein of New York, and named Aryeh L. Pincus, chairman of the Jewish Agency executive in Jerusalem, as cochairman of the Council presidium. Dr. Nahum Goldmann continues as president of the Council.
The presidium, which will continue for another year as a provisional governing body, also affirmed the composition of the 50-member Council that was proposed at its last meeting here two years ago. The United States, with 12 members, will have the largest representation and the Council administrative headquarters will be in New York. The election of Mr. Pincus as cochairman recognized the centrality of Israel, which will have eight Council members, as a creative force in Jewish education.
The Council will maintain a regional headquarters in Jerusalem and it is expected that much of the programing and research will be centered there. The Council will also include six European representatives, two of whom will be from Great Britain, five from Latin America, one each from Canada, Australia, South Africa and Iran and 15 members-at-large to be elected by the Council’s executive committee when it is constituted.
Dr. Goldmann opened the three-day meeting today with a brief address in which he stressed the “continuing need” for a central body in Jewish education to act as a clearing house and research center and, in effect, operate along the lines of a bureau of Jewish education on a global scale.
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