An appeal to the 84th Congress to revise the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act was made last night by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America at its national convention. The resolution also urged President Eisenhower to “affirm his leadership” in obtaining revocation of the act’s “discriminatory provisions.”
Representing traditional synagogues in the United States and Canada, the Orthodox Union said that the Act was “predicated upon the false assumption and vicious doctrine of the superiority of groups born in certain European countries and does violence to our American heritage and traditions. ” It charged that American moral leadership in world affairs “is open to challenge as long as a prejudiced origins-quota system constitutes the basis of our present immigration policy.
“In this tercentenary of Jewish settlement in America, ” the resolution asserted, “it is fitting that we do not lose sight of the fact that the greatness of our country is the product of the immigration of peoples of every race, color and creed.”
Other resolutions passed at the convention: Called on the United States Government to give equal treatment to Israel and her neighbors in the distribution of arms, and urged the U.S. to help secure peace in the Middle East; asked the U.S. to instruct our delegate at the UN Economic and Social Council to vote against any calendar reform proposal that affects the fixity of the Sabbath, and approved plans for the organizing of 50 new traditional congregations in 43 states within the next two years.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
