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Jews in France Unite in Single Central Body; Tender Reception to U.S. Jewish Soldiers

October 13, 1944
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Hundreds of Jewish members of the U.S. armed forces tonight attended an official reception given by the Conseille Representative de Juifs de France, the central body of French Jewry, to American Jewish soldiers in Paris. Addresses calling for Jewish unity were delivered at the reception by Jewish leaders and by American Jewish chaplains serving with U.S. Army units in France.

The Conseille was formed several days ago when the representative Jewish organizations which existed in northern and southern France merged into one central body, with headquarters at 17 rue St. George in Paris. Leo Mais, leader of the Jewish Consistoire, was elected president of the Conseille.

Under an agreement reached by all Jewish groups the Conseille will take over policy-making functions for the Jews of France, in place of the Comite de Unity et Defense de Juifs de France, which operated from the central office of the Jewish Colonization Association. This office, situated at 29 rue Bienfaissance, was used during the German occupation as headquarters of the Union General des Israelites de France which was organized by the German authorities.

JEWISH RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS REOPEN OFFICES IN PARIS; 20,000 JEWS NEED AID

Almost all Jewish relief organizations which operated in Paris before the German occupation have resumed their activities. The Joint Distribution Committee is functioning in its old offices, 19 rue de Teheran. The Federation of Jewish Societies, which gets its funds from the J.D.C., is distributing relief in four districts with a staff recruited from members of the Zionist youth Organization. In addition to J.D.C. funds, the Federation also has received an allocation from the French Government.

Mare Yarblum, representative of the World Jewish Congress, who arrived here from Switzerland, has opened a Congress office at the Hotel Select. He estimated that about 20,000 Jews in France are completely dependent on relief. Of them, 8,000 are in Paris. No comprehensive list of the needy Jews exists, however.

The Hias-Ica office in Paris has not been reopened as yet, but a representative of the organization, Vladimir Schacht, is expected to arrive in Paris this week, The Ort office, also, is not functioning as yet. The arrival of Dr. Aron Syngalovsky, Ort leader now in Switzerland, is expected any day. The Ose office is operating under Dr. E. Minkovsky and is being financed by the J.D.C.

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