Claiming that “effective group action based on well considered and carefully prepared plans” is our only effective weapon in combattling anti-Semitism. Morris R. Cohen, professor of philosophy at the College of the City of New York, yesterday told about the national organization, which he and others propose to form.
In an interview at his home at 854 West 181st street, Professor Cohen said: “We plan to establish a group of professors, lawyers, doctors and other men and women in the liberal professions, to promote research on Jewish prob- lems, so that various Jewish organizations might, in their efforts to combat anti-Semitism, have the necessary knowledge. We are planning to give our services to all existing Jewish agencies.
“Among the things we are planning to do in the very near future is an investigation into the economic status of Jews in America; to what extent they are represented in agriculture, industry, professions and in business.
Professor Cohen feels that the need for expert knowledge has been repeatedly illustrated in recent times, when such events as the rise of Hitler found Jewish organizations puprepared with eithe or technical knowledge to deal adequately with the situations. His organization makes its appeal primarily ot Jews in the professions and in academic life, who will not let their differences in regard to religion, orthodoxy, Zionism, socialism or communism hinder them from cooperating to pervent the permanent degradation of hte Jews as human beings.
STRONG SUPPORT
Those who have already joined the group are Professor Salo Baron, Dr. Jacob Billikopf, Professor Solomon Bluhm, Mrs. Frank Cohen, Professor Felix Frankfurter, Herman Gray, Professor Ben jamin Harrow, Professor Nathan Isaacs, Dr. Oscar Janowsky, Dean Paul Klapper, Dr. Soloman Lowenstein, Arthurs S. Meyer, Marvin Lowenthal, Professor jerome Michael, Dr. Reuben Ottenberg, Professor Edward Sapir, Professor I. L. Sharfman, Walter Pollak, Dr. De Witt Stetten, Professor Israel Wechsler and Professor Harry A. Wolfson.
During the interview, Professor Cohen emphatically denied making a statement at the B’nai B’rith Lodge in Buffalo, on January 7, which was widely quoted and criticized. “It the Jews continue to occupy high positions, they will share the fate of the German Jews.” he was reported as saying What he did say, Professor Coh# explained, was “that because or the numerous high offices occupied by those of our faith, we are prone to attack.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
