More than 1,000 men and women of Greater New York, including communal leaders of all faiths, launched the 1935 Spring campaign of the Brooklyn Federation of Jewish Charities at a dinner last night at the Hotel St. George, Brooklyn. The campaign is for $543,500.
The dinner, which also marked the beginning of the Federation’s second quarter century of service to the community, was opened by Municipal Court Justice Murray Hearn, chairman of the dinner. Former Governor Alfred E. Smith was the guest speaker.
Walter N. Rothschild, chairman of the campaign, who was one of the principal speakers, pointed out that the Federation and twenty-five agencies for which it provides are facing critical times, with income reduced and demands for service on the upgrade.
“Since 1929,” he declared, “we have seen our income dwindle some forty per cent. During that same time, we have seen the demands of our societies increase by leaps and bounds. Of course, Federal, State and City aid have helped immeasurably in the family welfare situation through direct relief. But what of our splendid institutions which cover hospitalization, child-care, character building, crime prevention, and religious and moral education?
Mr. Rothschild appealed to those present at the dinner to help raise the money for the support of these institutions. He also announced that Mrs. Nathan L. Goldstein and Louis J. Jaffee have accepted appointment as associate chairmen of the fund campaign.
A plea for broader support of the Federation was made by Justice May, president of the Federation and the first speaker at the dinner.
“Brooklyn is the largest Jewish community in the world,” he pointed out. “There are more Jews here than in Manhattan and the Bronx combined. Approximately one-fourth of the total Jewish population of the United States is concentrated in our borough. Out of more than 1,000,000 Jews resident in Brooklyn, about one per cent. support the Federation. That is much too narrow a base for an organization with a program of service as broad as is our Federation’s.”
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.
