Editing World Jewish Congress (section)

====Letter to State Department====
[[File:A. Leon Kubowitzki.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|[[Aryeh Leon Kubowitzki]]]]

On 9 August 1944, Leon Kubowitzki (later Aryeh Leon Kubovy), the head of the WJC's Rescue Department, relayed a message from Ernest Frischer of the Czechoslovak State Council to the US State Department urging the destruction of the gas chambers and the bombing of railways lines leading to the [[Auschwitz]] death camp. US Undersecretary of War John J. McCloy rejected the suggestion five days later, writing to Kubowitzki:

<blockquote>After a study it became apparent that such an operation could be executed only by the diversion of considerable air support essential to the success of our forces now engaged in decisive operations elsewhere and would in any case be of such doubtful efficacy that it would not warrant the use of our resources.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/holocaust/filmmore/reference/primary/bombworld.html|title=The World Jewish Congress in New York asks the War Department to bomb the crematoria at Auschwitz, August 9, 1944. The War Department turns down the request (August 14, 1944).|website=[[PBS]]|access-date=September 18, 2017|archive-date=March 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323041231/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/holocaust/filmmore/reference/primary/bombworld.html|url-status=dead}}</ref></blockquote>

In November 1944, at the War Emergency Conference held in [[Atlantic City]], USA, the WJC elaborated a program for the post-war period, which included calls for reparations from Germany to Jews and the use of heirless Jewish property for Jewish rehabilitation. Also at that conference, [[Stephen S. Wise]] was elected president of the World Jewish Congress. Delegates decided to embark on a $10,000,000 fund-raising effort for relief and increased political activity throughout the world. The news agency JTA also reported the following:

<blockquote>The closing session of the conference also adopted a resolution recommending that the Congress establish a Department of Community Service which would be charged with aiding in the reconstruction of the spiritual and cultural life of Jews in liberated countries. Another resolution extended the gratitude of the gathering to the Vatican and to the Governments of Spain, Sweden and Switzerland for the protection they offered under difficult conditions to the persecuted Jews in German-dominated Europe. At the same time, it expressed regret at the fact that 'deplorably little has been done to have Axis civilians under the power of the United Nations exchanged for Jews in ghettos, internment, concentration and labor camps.'<ref>[https://archive.today/20130113022310/http://archive.jta.org/article/1944/12/03/2865512/world-jewish-congress-10000000-drive-no-challenge-to-other-groups-leaders-say World Jewish Congress $10,000,000 Drive No Challenge to Other Groups, Leaders Say], Publisher:JTA, Date: 1944-12-03</ref></blockquote>

''Related video: [http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675039006_Dr-Stephen-Wise_War-Emergency-Conference-of-World-Jewish-Congress_Dr-Nahum-Goldmann Stephen Wise addresses the World Jewish Congress War Emergency Conference in Atlantic City, November 1944]''