The World Conference of Jewish Organizations, representing leading Jewish organizations of five continents, criticized the Soviet Union today for not allowing Jews the “same rights and facilities granted to other religious and national groups.” COJO expressed the hope that the “recent implied condemnation of anti-Semitism by Premier Khrushchev” in his letter to Bertrand Russell, the famous British philosopher will “exercise a restraining influence” on those responsible for the closing of synagogues and other prejudicial acts against the Jews. The resolution was passed unanimously by the 65 delegates attending the two-day session.
In a second resolution, the COJO representatives also expressed concern over “the anti-Semitic manifestations and activities which have occurred in certain Latin American countries.” This statement declared that the Latin American events “cause particular concern, as there is evidence that the local anti-Semitic groups and parties are stimulated and inspired by external forces linked together through international networks aimed at the destruction of the very foundations of the democratic way of life.” The conference called upon all governments, the United Nations and other international bodies, as well as national, religious, social and educational institutions “to promote political, legislative and other measures to counteract this danger to democracy and fundamental human rights.”
The resolution on Soviet Jewry voiced the “distress” of COJO because the Jewish citizens of the USSR are denied the rights granted to other religious and national groups. It stated: “We are particularly concerned that facilities are denied to Soviet Jewry to establish organizations both to unite Jewish congregations for common religious purposes and to further develop Jewish cultural activity. We are equally concerned that facilities granted to other groups to maintain contact with and participate in the activities of international bodies are not available to Soviet Jewry.”
The reference to Premier Khrushchev expressed the hope that his letter to Bertrand Russell “and its publication in the Soviet press” will exercise a restraining influence on “the manifestations of national prejudice and religious and cultural intolerance, and on the publicity calculated to make it appear that Jews are primarily responsible for economic offenses.” The resolution appealed to the Soviet Union to facilitate the reunion of families through emigration.
ANOTHER JEW GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE; COJO SCHEDULES TWO MORE SESSIONS
(From Paris, it was reported today that yesterday’s issue of Pravda, official organ of the Communist Party of the USSR, brought news of a death sentence imposed on one more man evidently a Jew. The man’s name is Kanzberg. He was convicted at another “economic crime” show trial in Azerbaijan of “traffic in and theft of goods destined for Soviet cooperatives.”)
The conference announced it has scheduled two meetings for the coming 12 months, one in the summer and another next January, both to be held in New York. They will be called to consider a draft proposal which the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has undertaken to write. This is intended to strengthen COJO’s organization by replacing the veto right now available to all member organizations with the right to abstain. This will be debated fully by the organizations concerned before the forthcoming meetings, and then acted upon at the COJO conference.
COJO is composed of the American Jewish Congress, B’nai B’rith, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Canadian Jewish Congress, Conseil Representatif des Juifs de France, Delagacion de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas, the executive council of Australian Jewry, the Jewish Labor Committee, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the World Jewish Congress. The Jewish Agency for Israel was represented by an observer.
Dr. Nahum Goldmann was re-elected chairman of COJO; Label A. Katz, the president of B’nai B’rith, co-chairman; and Sir Barnett Janner, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, vice-chairman. Yehuda Hellman was again elected as secretary-general.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
