American Jewish _Leaders Seeh Meeting `On High Level' With USSR Spokesmen; Plead for Restoration of Jewish Rights 24 National Organizations Adopt 18-Point Appeal; Plan Prayer Day, Protests WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The two-day emergency American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry concluded here Monday night with an appeal to Soviet government leaders to end official anti-Semitism and to grant the 3,000,000 Jews of the Soviet Union full equality with other religious and ethnic groups in the country. The 24 parti- cipating Jewish organizations which convened the con- ference adopted plans to enlist the help of Americans of all faiths in drawing world attention to the "oppression of Soviet Jewry." The 500 delegates, addressing themselves to the au- thorities of the Soviet Union, adopted an 18-point resolu- tion calling for the elimination of discrimination against Soviet Jews and restoration of their full cultural and re- ligious rights. The conference expressed its "anguish and indignation at the treatment of Jews in the Soviet Union." The conference called for a national day of prayer to be observed in every American synagogue, as a part of a national protest against "the calculated assault by which the destruction of the Jewish community within the Soviet Union is being pursued." A message to the conference from Albert Cardinal Meyer, Roman Catholic archbishop of Chicago, stated: "In the name of God, Who will not be mocked, and In the name of humanity made in the image and likeness of God, I join you in protest against any evil and all efforts to destroy the spiritual and cultural freedom and rights of men everywhere." A delegation of conference leaders met with Secre- tary of State Dean Rusk at the State Department Tuesday morning to discuss the sentiments expressed at the con- ference. The possibility of a meeting between American Jew- ish leaders and Soviet authorities "on the highest level" was raised at the conference by Louis H. Weinstein, of Boston, chairman of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, and Morris B. Abram, president of the American Jewish Committee. Weinstein said he hoped that Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Goldberg, and U.S. Senators Jacob K. Javits and Abraham A. Ribicoff would be in the group, if and when such a delegation is invited to Russia. The conference delegates were told that "if Soviet authorities invite us to a discussion of the status of Soviet Jewry in terms that signify the earnest desire of the Soviet government for good-faith exploration of the issue, we will be prepared to form a delegation to go to the USSR to meet with Soviet officials of the highest level." The 18-point resolution, protesting "the denial to Soviet Jews of the basic institutions and facilities granted to other religious and ethnic groups within the Soviet Union," informed the Soviet government that "considera- tions of humanity and justice" required it to: 1. Eradicate anti-Semitism by a vigorous educational effort conducted by government and party; 2. Permit the free functioning of synagogues and private prayer meet- ings; 3. Remove hindrances to the observance of sacred rites such as religious burial and circumcision; 4. Permit production and distribution of religious articles and cal- endars; 5. Restore facilities and permission to produce and distribute matzoth and kosher food; 6. Grant the right to publish Hebrew Bibles, prayer books, and other reli- gious texts; 7. Permit synagogues in the USSR to organ- ize a nationwide federation; 8. Sanction the association Continued on Page 32 THE JEWISH NEWS * I T F:2 CD I "T- A Weekly Review MICHIGAN i of Jewish Events Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper, Vol. XLV—No. 7 ` Incorporating The 17100 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit, Mich. 48235 Jewish Chronicle April 10, 1964 Bann er Beginning of All Time' Marks First Event of Allied Jewish Campaign $3,666,000 Initial Total Augurs Well For Anticipated $5 Million Campaign A new record was set here for a commencing sum with which to open an Allied Jewish Campaign. At the formal opening of the 1964 campaign at the dinner meeting held Tuesday at the Jewish Center, Isidore Sobeloff, executive vice-president of the Jewish Welfare Federation, announced a total of $3,666,000 — $250,000 more than the largest sum previously announced on an opening night. Acclaiming the efforts of the campaign leaders and workers, Sobeloff also an- nounced that half of the assigned slips have been covered, pointing to an enlarged enrollment of campaign participants. He described the occasion as being " a banner night for all time." "Whatever we have done so far is part of our continuing effort to solidify and strengthen our community," he declared, and he made a strong appeal for the pur- suance of the campaign activities to assure a minimum of $5,000,000 in this year's drive. Charles H. Gershenson, chairman of this year's campaign, presided over the eve- ning's festivities after a brief session, with Presiding Judge Theodore Levin of the U. S. District Court acting as chairman, during which honors were extended to Hyman Safran, president of the Jewish Welfare Federation, and Max M. Fisher, national asso- ciate general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal and the former president of the Federation. In recognition of their services to the community, Judge Levin pre- sented to Safran and Fisher olive wood gavels made in Israel and appropriately in- scribed for each of the recipients. In their responses to the presentations, the two honorees pledged their continued devotion to the community causes. Fisher said he viewed the gavel as a symbol of the efforts to which he continues to dedicate himself. Safran said he accepted the honor as a duty to the community and as a measure of his pride in the objectives of Detroit's total community functions. Commenting on the excellent start in this year's drive, Gershenson said he was optimistic that the $5,000,000 goal will be attained. He reviewed the local scene in the over-all campaign picture, told of the work that is being conducted to provide care for children who have become the wards of the community, and he pointed to the numerous other duties fulfilled by the campaign: in caring for 300 residents in the Home for Aged, assisting the Sinai Hospital health programs, assuring an education for the thousands of children in the United Hebrew Schools, providing for the _rec- reational programs at the Jewish Center, assisting numerous other agencies, includ- ing Hebrew Free Loan, Jewish Vocational Bureau and Workshop and other agencies. A brief appeal for unstinted labors for the drive was made by the campaign's associate chairman, Al Borman. In the principal address of the evening, Reuven Dafni, Israeli pioneer who helped establish the border settlement of Ein Gev, war hero, former Israeli Consul in Los Angeles and New York and now a member of the Israel Ministry of Education and Culture, reviewed the accomplishments in Israel and pointed to successes in which all contributors to the UJA through the Detroit campaign can feel a sense of great pride. He described the emergence of the State of Israel as marking "the recognition by the nations of the world of Israel's right to be master of her own fate and not the recipient of crumbs from royal tables." Continued on Page 3 s'4 Allied Jewish Campaign leaders at the opening dinner of the 1964 drive, at the Jewish Center, on Tuesday evening are (from left) : Charles H. Gershenson and Abraham Borman, chairman and associate chairman of this year's campaign; Hyman Safran, president, Jewish Welfare Federation; Irwin Green, co-chairman of pre-campaign activities; Reuven Dafni, Israeli war hero, now a member of the Israel Ministry of Education and Culture, guest speaker at the dinner; Max M. Fisher, national associate general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal; Judge Theodore Levin, who was one of the presiding officers at Tuesday's dinner meeting; and Mrs. I. Jerome Hauser, chairman of the Women's Division of the Allied Jewish Campaign.