An appeal to British Jewry to contribute $1,000,000 to aid in the expatriation and rehabilitation of 100,000 German Jews during a period of four years was issued today over the signatures of Sir Herbert Samuel, chairman, Lord Bearsted and Simon Marks, on behalf of the British section of the World Council for German Jewry.
The campaign for that sum will be officially launched at a conference here Sunday. It is part of a world drive for $15,000,000, two-thirds of which American Jews have undertaken to raise in the specified period.
The appeal points out that an agreement on the plans for German Jewry has been fully achieved with all sections of the American Jewish community.
The following broad outlines of the vast expatriation and rehabilitation project are contained in the appeal:
The project’s first object is to aid in the emigration of Jews from Germany in such numbers as is feasible at the present time. Between 20,000 and 25,000, chiefly youths and children, has been agreed upon as the number to be expatriated yearly.
Secondly, it is recognized as essential that the migrants have occupations making them useful to the country of their destination. In this connection, it is hoped to provide moderate loans to help them establish enterprises, the appeal states.
Third, special retraining projects will be undertaken for large numbers of the prospective emigrants.
Fourth, special training will be given youths going to Palestine, in order to promote further development of the country.
Fifth, continuation of temporary help to the refugees.
Sixth, the Council for German Jewry, being formed to execute these objects, will have to undertake some of the functions of assisting refugees previously allotted to the League of Nations High Commission for Refugees under James G. McDonald. The Council, it is pointed out, will continue the work of the Central British Fund and does not intend to create a large new organization. Existing bodies will retain their autonomy, the functions of the Council being to help coordinate action and suggest fresh plans to raise supplementary funds.
Seventh, at least $15,000,000 will be needed to carry out the project.
The appeal discloses that one half of Great Britain’s quota of $5,000,000 is already in sight.
It concludes with the statement that “were we not to rise to the height of this emergency we should be false to our own feeling of humanity, fellowship and, not the least, self-respect.”
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.
