54 Friday, bee 38, 1918
THE DUll! DISH NEWS
-
American-Israeli Task Force Recommends Communal Changes
NEW YORK — Thirty-
three American and Israeli
Jews, following months of
study of the relationships
between Israel and the
American Jewish commun-
ity, conclude that in view of
the pluralistic nature both
of American society and of
the American Jewish com-
munity, "dissent from
majority views" must be
permitted—but this should
not overshadow the asser-
tion of American Jewish
consensus.
The group adds: "Israel's
security needs are of such
crucial concern to American
Jewry that it is incumbent
on the organizations repre-
senting the majority con-
sensus to make the view of
the majority of American
Jews on Israel's security
policies clear and thus to
put dissenting views into a
realistic perspective."
The group was an inter-
national task force spon-
sored by the American
Jewish Committee. The full
report, which will be pub-
lished in a few weeks, was
outlined by its co-authors,
Prof. David Sidorsky of Col-
umbia University and
Robert Goldmann of the
AJCommittee board of gov-
ernors, as well as Rabbi
Joseph Glazer, executive
vice president of the Central
Conference of American
Rabbis.
In addition to its con-
r
cern for the political
phase of relations bet-
ween Israel and the
American Jewish com-
munity, which was held
to be the focus of most
concern and was
generating the most seri-
ous debate, the task force
stressed that it was "of
major importance that
Israel move toward a
greater measure of
economic indepen-
dence."
Eli Ginzberg, Columbia
University economics pro-
fessor and member of the
task force, is quoted in the
report as indicating that the
ratio between American
Jewish philanthropic sup-
port of Israel and private
American Jewish invest-
ment runs about 10 to 1 or
higher. While recognizing
the need for continued_
levels of philanthropic aid,
the task force urged a shift
in this ratio between in-
vestment and philanthropy.
In stressing the need for
American Jews to take the
lead for opening up new op-
portunities for increased
investment in Israel, the
task force urged that joint
American-Israeli efforts be
established to reduce Is-
rael's foreign debt. It
suggested that such efforts
develop approaches for cre-
ation of an effective capital
market in Israel, work in
conjunction with groups
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like the Committee for
Economic Growth of Israel
(CEGI) for increased Israeli
exports to the U.S. and im-
provement in marketing
techniques for these pro-
ducts, and explore pos-
sibilities for significant pri-
vate foreign investment or
participation in
government-owned Israeli
corporations.
On the matter of political
dissent, the task force
pointed out that the Ameri-
can Jewish community was
"a plural community of vol-
unteer associations," with
coordinating bodies not rep-
resentative in a formal or
constitutional sense. Voting
on issues is not subject to
cloture; rather, each group
feels free to continue the
policies of its membership
"with varying concern for
the sentiments of other
groups," it pointed out.
The task force recom-
mended that the struc-
ture of coordinating
bodies be re-examined to
make sure they are fully
representative of Ameri-
can Jewish communal
opinion. Specifically, it
urged:
• That such American
Jewish communal bodies as •
the Conference of Presi-
dents of Major American
Jewish Organizations and
the Middle East Task Force
of the NJCRAC (National
Jewish Communications
Relations Advisory Coun-
cil) adopt measures "to en-
hance their capacity to for-
mulate responsible com-
munal policy upon consul-
tation with all segments of
communal opinion."
• That the Conference of
Presidents and other coor-
dinating bOdies that are
mandated "not only to de-
velop the policy positions of
the community but also to
represent it" be fully rep-
resentative of Jewish com-
munal opinion, and their
present structures and
methods of operation be
evaluated "with a view to
initiating procedures to this
end."
• That in view of "multi-
ple initiatives" in support of
Israel in the political arena
— by such groups as the
Presidents Conference, the
Council of Jewish Federa-
tions and Welfare Funds,
and the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee
— a procedure for evaluat-
ing duplication of efforts
should be undertaken "with
a view for improved consul-
tation and coramunication."
The task force recom-
mended also that Dias-
pora representatives be-
come more deeply in-
volved in the work of the
Jewish Agency, which it
called the major over-
arching institution in
which American Jews
and Israelis serve to-
gether to shape policies
and make decisions af-
fecting the condition of
the Diaspora and the de-
velopment of Israel.
It recommended that in
furthering this effort, par-
ticular care be given to
specific program objectives
of the Jewish Agency, such
as education, housing, so-
cial services, etc., and that
groups both in Israel and in
the Diaspora be involved
who have a direct interest
and necessary expertise and
skills. It recommended also
that consideration be given
to broadening the
framework of the Jewish
Agency representatives
both from Israel and the
Diaspora, along with cur-
rent representation from
the Zionist parties and from
Diaspora fund-raising or-
ganizations.
The task force pointed to
the long established and
continually developing
network of health and wel-
fare institutions in Israel
that have direct links with
the American Jewish com-
munity at a level of collab-
oration and mutual ex-
change far beyond that
reached in any other aspect
of the American Jewish-
Israeli relationship. Yet it
added that there was grea-
ter need for American
Jewish participation in
ways other than the con-
tribution of funds, and ac-
cepted several recommen-
dations from a subcommit-
tee:
• Encouraging senior
Jewish personnel from U.S.
agencies and Jewish com-
munal services and faculty
from professional schools to
spend a sabbatical year in
Israel;
• Helping Jewish com-
munal agencies to develop
collaborative projects to
help strengthen Israeli
health and welfare services
without increasing their
dependence on the Ameri-
can organizations.
In the area of education
and culture the task force
found that the reality of
Israel had become an im-
portant element in de-
veloping forms of Jewish
self-identification for the
American Jewish com-
munity. It added that this
phenomenon , carried
with it the potential for
important changes in the
character and present
exchange programs bet-
ween Israel and Ameri-
can Jewry.
Pointing out that there
has been little communal
direction and planning for
joint activities, the task
force recommended the es-
tablishment, under the
leadership of the American
Zionist Youth Fottnilation,
of a policy study of the pre-
sent use of Israel as an edu-
cational resource. Such a
study, it added, should be
geared to long-term plan-
ning for the development of
the Israeli experience as an
educational instrument.
_ The task force suggested
also that a comprehensive
plan be developed for a new
educational track based on
Israeli-centered curricula,
alongside the current tracks
of Jewish education in the
U.S.
The task force found
merit in the suggestion that
the American Jewish com-
munity provide more
support for the absorption of
American Jewish immig-
rants in Israel, adding that
it viewed the presence of
American Jews living in Is-
rael as providing the
natural bonds that could
most effectively build
bridges between the two
communities.
The task force also found
it not surprising, in light of
historic reasons, that the Is-
raeli government had post-
poned efforts to reform Is-
raeli law so as to legitimize
Jewish religious pluralism
or to achieve separation of
religion and state.
It did recommend con-
tinued in-depth discus-
sion of religious issues,
recognizing the need for
the Israeli community to
appreciate the attitudes
of Conservative and Re-
form Jews who find
themselves denied full
participation in Israel
despite their Zionist
commitment, and con-
versely, also the need for
the American Jewish
community to appreciate
the historic and social
circumstances that make
it difficult for Israeli soc-
iety to accommodate re-
ligious pluralism in the
American tradition.
The full task force report,
titled "Israel and American
Jewish Interaction," will be
published in the coming
weeks.
New Israel St amps Issued
JERUSALEM — The
philatelic services depart-
ment of the Israel Ministry
of Communications has is-
sued a number of new com-
memorative stamps.
A tribute to the town of
Rosh Pine is included in the
sixth definitive series on the
landscapes of Israel. The
stamp is multi-colored and
is in the IL 20 denomina-
tion.
The 100th anniversary of
the founding of the
Jerusalem branch of the
Young Men's Christian As-
sociation is saluted in an IL
5.40 cover. Adjacent to it is
an IL 8.40 cover saluting
the centenary of the writing
of Hatikva by Naftali Herz
Imber.
Two of the most promi-
nent figures in the found-
ing of Israel are portrayed
in a new series of historical
personality - stamps. Dr.
Chaim Weizmann was a
leader of the Zionist move-
ment which was founded by
Theodor Herzl. Dr. Weiz-
mann was the first presi-
dent of Israel.
The two historical per-
sonalities stamps are issued
in the IL 2 denomination in
honor of the 30th anniver-
sary of the founding of the
state of Israel.
Percy Requests
Vance to Help
in El Al Meetings
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Sen. Charles Percy (R-Ill.)
has urged Secretary of State
Cyrus Vance to become
"personally involved" in
negotiations for the U.S. to
approve new landing rights
for El Al Israel Airlines in
Chicago, Los Angeles,
Miami and Boston.
In a letter to Vance dis-
closed by Percy's office, the
Senator said the Israeli
government has already
communicated to the U.S.
government a new "open
skies" aviation policy that
should remove any objec-
tions to the approval of the
new air service. Since 1950,
El Al has been limited to
landing in New York. El Al
also agreed to allow charter
service to originate from
any point in the U.S. Pre-
sently, El Al charters fly
only from the West Coast.
The State Department,
the Department of Trans-
portation and the Civil
Aeronautics Board will par-
ticipate with El Al in the
negotiations which began
Wednesday.
Carter's Counsel
Meets Rabbis
NEW YORK (JTA) — A
spokesman for the Union of
Orthodox Rabbis of the Un-
ited States and Canada said
that a delegation met last
week for more than 90 mi-
nutes with Robert Lipshutz,
the counsel to President
Jimmy Carter, to make the
existence of the Orthodox
rabbinical organization
known to the White House.
Rabbi Simha Elberg,
Agiulas Harabonim chair-
man, said that while the or-
ganization was not certain
it would have accepted the
White House invitation to
900 rabbis to participate in
a 30th anniversary celebra-
tion at the White House last
month, its officials were
concerned that the organi-
zation was unknown to
White House officials.