A goal of $6,250,000 representing the 1937 budgetary needs of 116 charities in Greater New York was accepted tonight by leaders of the New York and Brooklyn federations of Jewish charities celebrating their new campaign partnership at a dinner at the Hotel St. George, Brooklyn.
The goal of the merged appeal, said to be the largest single quota for local charity purposes ever undertaken in this country, was announced by Felix M. Warburg, philanthropist. More than 2,500 men and women, representing the leadership among Jewish social welfare workers in the metropolitan area, pledged to help raise the $6,250,000 fund.
The dinner brought together for the first time the leaders of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies of New York City, which has been operating in Manhattan and the Bronx only, since its establishment in 1916, and the Brooklyn Federation of Jewish Charities, which has had sole jurisdiction in Kings County since 1909.
Lawrence Marx, president of the New York Federation, and Judge Algeron I. Nova, president of Brooklyn Federation, had issued the invitations to the affair jointly. Speakers at the dinner, in addition to the two presidents and Mr. Warburg, included Nathan S. Jonas, “father of the Brooklyn Federation;” former United States Attorney George Z. Medalio, chairman of the dinner committee; Mrs. Sidney C. Borg, chairman of the board of the combined Women’s division of the two federations; and Mrs. Nathan L. Goldstein, president of the Brooklyn Women’s Division.
Justice Edward Lazansky, one of the founders and past president of Brooklyn Federation, was co-chairman of the meeting, jointly with former Justice Joseph M. Proskauer, past president of the New York Federation.
“Tonight’s joint dinner of the two federations,” Mr. Warburg said, “symbolizes the greatest stride forward made in Jewish local welfare in the past two decades.
“Governmentally, Brooklyn ceased its separate city existence nearly forty years ago. Philanthropically, it takes its place as part of the Greater City this year. Until now, New York Federation carried on its separate campaign on behalf of 91 agencies in Manhattan and the Bronx, while Brooklyn Federation campaigned laboriously for its own 25 affiliates. Now, at last, we are together, and together we work on behalf of 116 charities serving Greater New York.
“Large vision, broad perspective was needed when each of the two federations was established, joining together large sections of our city for integrated philanthropic effort. The benefits conferred upon the community by the two separate federations during the last two decades are inestimable. The gratitude for those benefits must go to those men who had the vision and the enthusiasm which were necessary for the initiation of federated effort.”
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.
