Zionism Attacked at National Parley of Council for Judaism

The charge that world Zionism seeks to achieve the migration of American Jewish youth to Israel through slanted text books in religious schools was made here today by Lessing J. Rosenwald, president of the American Council for Judaism, in his annual report to the national conference of the organization which is taking place here.

Mr. Rosenwald asserted that the textbooks used in Jewish religious schools in this country “were saturated with separatism.” He said that the Council, in addition to analyzing such religious school texts, and urging their banishment from schools professing to give religious education, is also, “well embarked upon a program of sponsoring the creation of acceptable religions texts, free of nationalist bias.”

The leader of the American Council for Judaism also reported that the major portion of funds collected by the United Jewish Appeal “is at the disposal of the World Zionist Organization.” He said that all the fund-raising efforts for Israel in the United States “Impose upon American Jews the fullest possible burden of Israel’s national financial obligations.” He urged the delegates “to alert” American Jews “to the degree to which they have been sucked into this foreign, political maelstrom while they imagined they were supporting needy co-religionists.”

Rabbi Elmer Berger, executive director of the organization, told the delegates that Zionism and totalitarianism have identical features. “The criteria of totalitarianism which also apply to Zionism,” he said, “include control over the press and other sources of information; an almost hysterical opposition to change or difference of opinion; the tendency to think in cliches; the tendency to rationalize irrational behavior, and the technique of ‘rewriting’ history to make it conform to the sacred tenets of tribal nationalism.

SENATORS ANNOUNCE OPPOSITION TO COUNCIL’S ANTI-ZIONIST VIEWS

Three Senators and Federal Security Administrator Oscar R. Ewing, who were quoted by the American Council for Judaism as endorsing the national conference of the Council, made known today that they do not share the anti-Zionist orientation of the Council.

Sen. Herbert H. Humphrey, of Minnesota, said he considered Zionism “in the forefront of the great humanitarian movements of the twentieth century” while Sen. Hebert R. O’Conor, of Maryland, said that he was not aware of the anti-Zionist nature of the Council when it solicited a letter from him. He said he favored Israel and therefore would not knowingly endorse any anti-Zionist sentiments.

Federal Security Administrator Ewing said he was completely unaware that his letter to the Council would be used in such a way as to give the impression that he collaborated with anti-Zionism. Sen. Ralph E. Flanders, of Vermont, said that although he is concerned with the overpopulation problem in Israel any suggestion he was opposed to Zionism was “definitely out of context.”