American Jewish Committee Task Force on Group Status in America., 1973-1980

1973, 1977-[1980]. Memorandum from Konvitz to Peter I. Rose and Irving M. Levine, Staff Director, regarding the Task Force. Konvitz advises that the Task Force avoid taking stands on broad general public policy issues such as bilingual and bi-cultural education. Konvitz believes that the Task Force should formulate policies on issues which are relevant to special Jewish concerns such as religious liberty, separation of church and state and a fair and humane immigration policy (with special concern for refugees). In these areas there is a Jewish group interest and, therefore, the American Jewish Committee as a Jewish group can join others in working for a particular end (for example, a policy of aliens' protection). Konvitz believes that the American Jewish Committee has failed to formulate a policy on affirmative action that would make it very clear that the American Jewish Committee as a Jewish group is concerned with "both justice and compassion." Konvitz also discusses recent articles which he has read and his own observations tend to be more anti-Semitic than their conservative counterparts. Konvitz suggests that since American conservatives are in control of the Senate and White House, the Jewish community "might reconsider its own heavy investment in the liberal side of American politics." Other routine Task Force memorandums, copies of papers and articles on ethnicity and a paper on reverse discrimination.