National Advisory Council on Combatting Anti-semitism Organized by Jewish Groups

Formal organization of the National Community Relations Advisory Council was completed here yesterday – after representatives of 14 local community relations councils and the four leading national agencies in this field had been in session since Saturday – “at a meeting marked by complete harmony and a sincere purpose to develop a coordinated approach to Jewish civic protective problems,” it was announced today by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

“Questions involved in combatting anti-Semitism, which have frequently caused divergence among Jewish groups, were discussed with forthrightness and candor,” the announcement said. “In every instance conclusions were reached by unanimous vote including a program for joint planning in dealing with some of the major problems, establishment of the National Community Relations Advisory Council as an organized body and election of the first officers and executive committee.”

To serve as its first chairman, the Advisory Council elected Edgar J. Kaufmann of Pittsburgh, long active in the effort to bring about coordination in community relations work. Jerome Rothschild, chairman of the Philadelphia Anti-Defamation Council, was elected secretary-treasurer along with an executive committee consisting of Joseph M. Proskauer, president of the American Jewish Committee; Dr. Stephen S. Wise, president of the American Jewish Congress; Henry Monsky, president of B’nai B’rith; Adolph Held, chairman of the Jewish Labor Committee; Sidney Hollander, Baltimore; Philmore J. Haber, Cleveland; Maurice B. Fagan, Philadelphia; and Robert Segal, Cincinnati. Alternates were also designated. Mr. Haber, co-chairman of the Organizing Committee, served as temporary chairman of the session.

Immediately following the close of the meeting, the newly elected executive committee met, organized, and took action in accordance with the instructions of the Advisory Council to initiate joint planning on several major problems which had been discussed. Preliminary plans were also made for considering membership matters, establishing headquarters and initiating the work.