The governing council of the World Jewish Congress welcomed in a resolution at its concluding session Israel’s disengagement agreements with Egypt and Syria as steps toward a settlement in the Middle East.
The council denounced the Arab murder attacks on Kiryat Shimona, Maalot and Shamir as constituting “the gravest menace toward ordered society.” The delegates expressed “deepest regret” at the unabated discrimination and persecution of the “defenseless” Jewish community in Syria and in a separate statement, expressed “profound indignation” over the “implausible” charges against Yosif Shalouah and Azur Zalta, Syrian Jews who are being tried in secret in Damascus on charges of murdering four Syrian Jewish women, “deprived of the fundamental right” to be defended by council.
The governing council, at the suggestion of the WJC Israel executive, decided to create 22 high school scholarships in memory of the 22 victims of the Maalot massacre, to be offered to children in development towns. The council also decided to institute a special award in, memory of Dr. Stephen Wise, to be made biennially to men and women of all faiths for humanitarian services to either the Jewish people or humanity as a whole.
Dr. Arieh Tartakower submitted his final report as director of the WJC cultural department. Dr. Nahum Goldmann, WJC president, praised Dr. Tartakower as one of the founders of the WJC and said he would devote his time to writing a three-volume history of the WJC.
Dr. Goldmann then introduced as the new director Yitzhak Harkavi, former Israeli ambassador to Uruguay and to Brazil and former head of the World Zionist Organization education and culture department. Dr. Goldman also announced the retirement of Dr. Maurice Periwig. WJC representative at the United Nations who, he said, had “splendidly represented” the WJC at the UN for many years and was retiring at 78. Dr. Goldman said Dr. Periwig’s services would be retained as a consultant on international affairs.
A luncheon was given honoring Marc Turkow WJC representative in Latin America and secretary general of the Latin American Jewish Congress marking his 70th birthday. Dr. Goldman lauded Turkow for his work for the WJC, adding he had made “a notable contribution” with a popular Jewish Library series and on the history of Polish Jews.
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.
