Caffrey, rector of Holy Cross Church; Rev. Walter M. Howlett, Rev. Dr. Newell, Rabbi Sidney E. Goldstein and Rabbi William F. Rosenblum. Charles H. Tuttle, former United States District Attorney and counsel for the Federation of Churches of Greater New York, was present as legal adviser.
Father McCaffrey, who presided at the luncheon and later acted as spokesman for the group, declared that the participation of the Catholic Church in the movement for cleaning up films meant that 1,200,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of New York were behind the movement.
JEWS MUST ASSIST
Rabbi Sidney E. Goldstein, who was delegated to arrange for an interview with motion picture producers in which the three faiths represented at the luncheon would explain their objections to current films, declared that it was essential for Jews to assist in the cleansing.
"A careful study of the motion picture industry reveals the fact that production, distribution and exhibition is largely controlled by Jews. To the degree that this is true, a special responsibility rests upon the Jewish people, more particularly upon Jewish leaders, to do their utmost to cleanse the motion pictures of all suggestiveness, indecency and obscenity," Dr. Goldstein declared.
"We are cooperating with the Catholic and Protestant groups both because we believe the motion picture is frequently a danger to the moral life of the community, and because we are convinced that many pictures produced by Jewish concerns and issued by Jewish executives are a dishonor and a disgrace to the Jewish people.
"The New York Board of Jewish Ministers and the Central Conference of American Rabbis mean to do everything within their power to purge the motion picture industry and theatre, and to remake both the theatre and the motion picture into what they ought to be, an instrument of art, education and entertainment. There are certain occupations from which we are excluded by others. There are also certain enterprises from which, because of the ideals of Israel, we must deliberately exclude ourselves."
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.
