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Hias Council Parley Pledges to Aid Rescue Program; Roosevelt Lauded

December 4, 1939
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Resolutions pledging every, effort to maintain and extend the “rescue through emigration” program of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and praising President Roosevelt’s efforts in behalf of refugees were adopted today at the tenth annual convention of the HIAS Council of Organizations. The meeting was attended by more than 2,000 delegates representing Jewish religious, fraternal and labor organizations in the metropolitan area.

The convention, after hearing City Council President Newbold Morris condemn the Nazi-Soviet axis as a menace to American institutions and to the American workers’ standard of living, adopted another resolution condemning aggressor nations.

The resolution on Roosevelt, which drew prolonged applause, declared the President had “proven himself to be the greatest humanitarian leader of our time,” expressed the convention’s “profoundest gratitude” for his refugee-aid efforts and also voiced appreciation of all the countries represented at the White House conference of the Intergovernmental Refugee Committee. The resolution also expressed the hope that the President would persuade the British Government to open the doors of Palestine to Jewish refugees.

Morris C. Feinstone, secretary of the United Hebrew Trades, presided at the conference. Other speakers included Judge Jacob Panken, President Abraham Herman of HIAS, Joseph Schlossberg, Albert Rosenblatt, Dr. Arieh Tartakower, Rabbi A.D. Burack, Louis Siegal and Isaac Asofsky, executive director of HIAS.

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