N.c.r.a.c. Issues Call for Creation of More Jewish Councils

The National Community Relations Advisory Council issued a new call today for the creation of local Jewish community relations councils, “representative of all organizations and groups in the Jewish community.” for the protection of equal rights and opportunities and the creation of conditions for vital Jewish living.

A pamphlet, titled “How to Organize for Jewish Community Relations,” calls such councils “the best means for dealing with issues affecting Jewish status and inter group relationships.” The pamphlet offers specific and detailed guidance on how to go about organizing a council, developing program, and obtaining assistance.

“Jewish community relations are by their nature the concern of all Jews,” the NCRAC declared. “They can be dealt with only by an agency of the community-by an agency broadly representative of organizations and groups in the community and responsive to the common needs-and cannot be made the exclusive responsibility of any single organization, however experienced or competent, that is less representative than this.”

Laying stress on the “complementary roles” of the local Jewish community relations councils and the national Jewish community relations agencies, the NCRAC cites a statement of principles adopted by its executive committee and endorsed by all the constituent organizations to govern national-local relationships. The national agencies “recognize the Community Relations Council as the central body with primary responsibility for planning and conducting community relations programs,” agree to “encourage their constituents to conduct activities with the approval of the CRC” and to “place their facilities at the disposal of the CRC,” and to “encourage the formation of CRC’s where they do not exist.”

Through the NCRAC, the constituent organizations and agencies make joint plans and coordinate their activities. Member organizations are the American Jewish Congress, Jewish Labor Committee, the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S., national congregational bodies of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform Judaism-United Synagogue of America, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and Union of American Hebrew Congregations-and thirty-three Jewish community relations councils and committees in all parts of the country.