Cojo. at Closing Session Resolves to Strengthen Education Commission

The World Conference of Jewish Organizations (COJO) concluded its plenary session here tonight after resolving to augment its commission on Jewish education in the diaspora with representatives of educational institutions not now participating. The session also adopted resolutions on Soviet Jewry, Jews in Arab countries and the Middle East situation.

Dr. William A. Wexler, of Atlanta. Ga. was reelected chairman of COJO and Louis A. Pincus and Rabbi Joachim Prinz were re-elected co-chairmen. Vice chairmen are Monroe Abbey, of Canada; Sion Cohen Imach, of Argentina and Michael Fidler, of Great Britain. Yehuda Hellman was reelected secretary general.

The resolution on education instructed COJO’s education commission to “examine the state of education in the various countries of the diaspora and, in cooperation with local education bodies, advise methods and systems relating to the content and direction and covering the total spectrum of Jewish education.” The commission was authorized to set up a world committee as well as regional subcommittees. The resolution stipulated that “the opportunity be given to all constituent bodies to put it before their governing bodies for their approval,” with the understanding that the commission’s work would proceed in the meantime.

The resolution on Soviet Jewry called on Soviet authorities to “permit the restoration of Jewish religious, communal and cultural life as guaranteed by the Soviet Constitution.” It welcomed the fact that “a growing number of Soviet Jews have recently been permitted to emigrate to Israel” but noted that “these are only a small minority of the tens of thousands who have applied for permission to go to Israel.”

The resolution expressed “abhorrence of the criminal prosecution to which Soviet Jews have been subjected for no reason other than their aspiration to live as Jews in Israel” and appealed to the Soviet government to “set aside these unjust sentences.” The resolution urged “men of good will everywhere to intensify their efforts in the struggle for the human rights of Soviet Jews and to address themselves not only to the unjust prosecution and sentences but also to the underlying Soviet policy of systematic discrimination against Jews.”