C. J. F. W. F. Urges Cooperation Among All Jewish Groups Fighting Bias

Regret that the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith are not participating in the National Community Relations Advisory Council, the coordinating body of national and local Jewish community relations agencies active in the fight against anti-Semitism, was expressed in a resolution adopted last night at the closing session of the General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds held here.

The resolution commended the six national organizations and the 52 local Jewish community relations councils for cooperating in the NCRAC’s joint policy formulation and program planning in the fields of church-state relationship, civil rights, immigration and Arab discrimination against American citizens. It instructed a special committee of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds “to redouble its efforts” to secure effective cooperation among all Jewish community relations agencies.

In another resolution, the Assembly urged member federations and their affiliated agencies to give serious consideration to the findings of a four-year national study by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds on health services for the chronically ill and aged. This study proposed that: homes for the aged should remove age restrictions on admissions; general hospitals should not limit themselves to patients with short illness but should be prepared to treat anyone who needs intensive diagnostic workup or intensive care communities should develop wider home care programs to supplement hospital care; health insurance, preferably through the Social Security system, should be provided, and better cooperation between the practitioners should be developed.

FORESEES PROGRESS IN AMERICAN JEWISH CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

In another resolution the Jewish communal leaders were gratified to learn that the newly established National Foundation for Jewish Culture and its associated Council of Jewish Cultural Agencies had been assured of operating funds for the next three years. “There is now a unique opportunity for major progress in American Jewish cultural development,” the resolution stated.

Professor William Haber, of the University of Michigan, addressing the General Assembly, praised the economic changes that have taken place in the United States in the past decade and described their effect on the structure of Jewish health and welfare services. He stated that the rise in income, the increase of automation and leisure time, the extension of Social Security, the burgeoning health and welfare programs by industry and labor unions and the social changes such as rise in population, increase in the number of aged, the shift to the suburbs and the concommitant rise in cultural, educational and intellectual levels, have all had their effect on the basic concepts of communal service.

“Many community organizations,” he said, “have already made changes in their structures and programs. Others that have not yet acted on the changed environment should begin to do so.” he urged.

The delegates re-elected Irving Kane of Cleveland as president of the Council. Other officers elected were: I.S. Lowenberg of Chicago, Louis Stern of Newark and Lewis H. Weinstein of Boston, who were named vice-presidents. Re-elected to the vice-presidency for another term were: Edward Barkoff of Montreal, Mrs. Elmer Moyer of Dayton. Edwin Rosenberg of New York, Sol Satinsky of Philadelphia, and Robert E. Sinton of San Francisco. Carlos L. Israel’s of New York was re-elected treasurer; and Louis J. Fox of Baltimore was elected secretary.

AWARDS PRESENTED FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

A highlight of the Assembly banquet was the presentation of the William J. Shroder Memorial and the Edwini Rosenberg awards. The Edwin Roserberg Award, established by the Ben and Bertie Touster Foundation for outstanding community leadership–a hand-crafted silver medallion–was presented to four Northwest Indiana Jewish leaders who successfully guided the merger efforts of three independent, organized Jewish communities into a single central community organization, the Northwest Indiana Jewish Federation. The four are Benjamin Saks of Gary, Harry Nelson of Gary, Edwin Rudin of Hammond and Simon Miller of East Chicago.

The William J. Shroder Awards, for “superior initiative and achievement in the advancement of social welfare, “were presented to the National Council of Jewish Women and to the Worcester Jewish Federation. Two awards are given each year, one to a large city or national organization and the second to a city with less than 40,000 Jewish population. The NCJW was honored for its national community service and public affairs program.

The second award was presented to the Worcester Jewish Federation for the high standards achieved by its leadership training program. Accepting on behalf of the Worcester Federation were: George Kangisser, president; Melvin Rosenblatt, president of the Young Adult Leadership group; and Melvin S. Cohen, executive director of the Federation.

A memorial service was held in honor of the former president, Herbert R, Abeles, of Newark, who passed away less than two weeks before the Assembly. Mr. Abeles was eulogized as having brought “unparalleled strength, direction, and creativity” to the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.