C.J.F.W.F. Refutes Charges of American Jewish Committee

The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds today replied to the charges voiced yesterday by Dr. John Slawson, executive vice-president of the American Jewish Committee, that the Council had failed to report the actions of community relations councils which voted against the Evaluative Studies Committee proposal with regard to the work of Jewish organizations engaged in community relations activities.

In a statement issued here today by Harry Lurie, C.J.F.W.F. executive director, it was pointed out that membership in the C.J.F.W.F. is limited to federations and welfare funds and to overall community councils which undertake the broad function of Jewish communal organization. “Our membership does not include local community relations agencies which limit themselves to public relations work,” the statement said. “Local chapters of the American Jewish Committee or of other national agencies similarly are not members of the Council.

“Dr. Slawson states that the Council’s report on the action taken concerning the National Community Relations Advisory Council evaluative studies proposal was limited to illustrations of action by the member agencies of the Council,” the statement continued. “That is correct, since the purpose of the report was to inform our member agencies about actions which had been taken by them throughout the country. It is our member agencies which finance the national agencies and the majority of the local community relations councils that belong to the N.C.R.A.C.

“Dr. Slawson complains that our bulletin creates a ‘band wagon psychology.’ He does not refer to erroneous reports that have been circulating throughout the country that have been at variance with the actual facts concerning the actions which local federations, welfare funds and community councils have taken. The purpose of our bulletin was not directly to try to correct these misconceptions but if it has succeeded in doing so it will have served an additional useful purpose.” Mr. Lurie’s statement concluded.