The sum of $110,000 to relieve the acute distress of the Jewish population in Bessarabia, Lithuania and part of Poland has already been sent abroad by the Joint Distribution Committee from the $310,000 it set aside as an emergency relief allotment. Sixty thousand dollars went for emergency aid in Bessarabia, Lithuania, Moldavia and Poland, and $50,000 for distressed city dwellers in Russia, according to a statement issued by David A. Brown, national chaairman of the United Jewish Campaign in which he outlined the steps taken by the J. D. C. to meet the emergency situation created by the severe winter in Europe.
These steps were taken by the Executive Committee of the Joint Distribution Committee on Mr. Brown’s assurance that American Jews would make good the additional grants of money by sending in their collections in advance of the dates when they would fall due. Mr. Brown also expressed the conviction that in addition to payments in advance, many new contributions would be made.
Besides the steps already taken, Mr. Brown said the Joint Distribution Committee will make additional substantial appropriations in accordance with the response by the communities in the United States and Canada.
Quoting cabled reports from Dr. Bernhard Kahn, European Director of the Joint Distribution Committee, Mr. Brown said that 45,000 Jews are in dire need in South Bessarabia. Of the 50,000 Jews dwelling in Middle Bessarabia, excluding Kishineff, about one third are in serious straits. In Kishineff itself, the general poverty of about 50,000 Jews had been greatly aggravated by the severe winter conditions.
“There is a great responsibility resting upon the Jews of the United States, Canada and other prosperous lands to help in this situation. “A number of special contributions have already been received by the Joint Distribution Committee from groups here, for Bessarabia, the sum of $2500 from the San Francisco Jewish Welfare Fund, and $350 from the California Roumanian Landsmanschaft, as an additional allotment on the part of San Francisco Jewry over and above their regular payments to the United Jewish Campaign.
“News of the present emergency caused Chicago Jewry to anticipate the payment of their final instalment of $150,000, which is not due until December, 1929, and send it to national headquarters, thereby not only completing their quota of $1,000,000 to the United Jewish Campaign, but making it possible for the Joint Distribution Committee to act quickly to relieve the acute distress.”
Mr. Brown said that the government and the Roumanian Red Cross had undertaken certain relief measures, and (Continued on Page 4)
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.
