British and other European Jewish communities, as well as the Jewish Agency executive, were called upon here last night to extend immediate aid to the French Jewish community, which is facing a large influx of immigrants from North Africa. The call was issued at the conclusion of a session of the European Conference of Labor Zionist organizations, presided over by Dr. S. Levenberg, of London.
A resolution adopted by the conference stressed the fact that, while “the best solution” for the new wave of immigration would consist of directing the immigrants to Israel, “it would be a serious mistake to overlook the urgent problems facing the refugees from Algeria and other countries arriving in France.”
There is an urgent need, the conference warned, to take care of Jewish education for the children of the newcomers, the establishment of communal clubs for the younger people, and the development of cultural activities for the adults. There is a need, the conference declared, for rabbis, teachers and social workers to aid the newcomers and guide them spiritually. “Unless these measures are taken,” the conference said, “there is the danger of assimilation threatening the younger immigrants who could be absorbed completely in the non-Jewish environment.”
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