Fall in Revenue from America Seen As Cause of Critical Situation in Work of O.r.t. Organisation: Act

There is a great disproportion between the funds at the disposal of the organisation and the amount of work it is called upon to do, mainly on account of the fall in the contributions coming from America, it was reported to the plenary meeting of the Central Board of the O.R.T. World Federation which has just been held here, attended among others by Dr. Leo Bramson, the President, Dr. Julius Brodnitz, the President of the Central Union of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith, Dr. D. Lvovitch, Dr. Singalovsky, Dr. Silberfarb of Warsaw, and Mr. I. Zegelnitzky, of Moscow.

The contributions from Germany, France, and other West European countries, too, have dropped considerably, it was stated, and in consequence of the continuing economic crisis in Poland and the other East European countries, there has also been a reduction in the subsidies received by the O.R.T. institutions from the various Governments and Municipalities; in come cases they were stopped altogether. A number of instances were cited of O.R.T. institutions which are in danger of being closed down, because of the cuts which have been made in the O.R.T. Federation’s budget. In many schools the teachers and instructors have not received their salaries for, several months. The credits for the Federation’s agricultural activities in Poland and Bessarabia have had to be cut because of the lack of funds. Drastic reductions and economies have had to be made in various fields of activity, especially in administration, and further reductions may be necessary in the future. The Board realises, however, the report said, that the reductions must not be carried too far, because the present distress in East European Jewry demands rather an extension of O.R.T. activity than a reduction.

The Central Administration, the report stated, has launched lately a number of collecting campaigns in the East European countries, and in the French provinces. There has also been an extension of activity recently by the O.R.T.-Oze-Emigdirekt in South Africa, Czecho-Slovakia and other countries, and in England the O.R.T.-Oze Committee has been conducting an active campaign.

Campaigns, it was reported, are now being planned in England, France and the East European countries. The crux of the financial situation for the O.R.T. Federation lies in America, however, it was stated, and a radical solution of the present difficulties will have to be sought there.

Herr Wilhelm Graetz, Dr. Silberfarb and Mr. A. Rosin all spoke in the course of the debate against making any further reductions in the activities of the Federation. The O.R.T. Federation must mobilise on its behalf the interest and sympathy which it has gained throughout the Jewish world, Herr Graetz said. Dr. Silberfarb said that there were two ways of getting the O.R.T. out of the present crisis. The first was to organise the Jewish populations of the East European countries for an extensive constructive programme, raising the funds locally, and the other was the conversion of the O.R.T. in America, together with the People’s Tools Campaign, into an organisation which would be able to conduct independent activity exclusively on behalf of the work of the O.R.T. Federation.