Religion: Truce

Fortnight ago organizations of U. S. Jews were bitterly at odds over a demand by Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise and his American Jewish Congress for a referendum on whether an all-inclusive agency should be formed to defend Jews’ rights. Last week 38 grave Jewish leaders, called together by Merchant Edgar Jonas Kaufmann, assembled in Pittsburgh to talk over a compromise. By day’s end they had found one, which was quickly ratified by the four big organizations—American Jewish Congress, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Labor Committee and B’nai B’rith. They agreed to form a joint council to co-ordinate the protection of Jews’ civil and political rights, to drop the referendum plan. The new council, whose majority decisions will be binding on all four groups, represents the biggest step yet taken toward a united front of U. S. Jewry.