Jewish Leaders Discuss Campaign for $100,000,000 for Overseas Rehabilitation Work

A campaign to raise $100,000,000 for the United Jewish Appeal has been under discussion during the past week, it was learned today by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in reliable quarters. It is understood that the United Palestine Appeal has already approved of such a goal and that the Joint Distribution Committee, the other partner in the U.J.A., is considering the matter.

The problem of raising much larger funds from American Jews for needs abroad was first projected at a private meeting the Joint Distribution Committee called on September 20th. After a review of its requirements, the JDC told community leaders assembled in New York that it would need an additional $14,000,000 for the last three months of 1945, beyond the amount it could expect from the United Jewish Appeal. A committee of ten persons appcinted at that time suggested that an emergency campaign be launched for the JDC exclusively. In view of the fact that the UJA agreement requires the compliance of the members of the UJA for any such campaign, the committee approached the UPA.

To sound opinion on the feasibility of the enterprise, the UDA called a meeting of hundreds of welfare fund leaders in New York on October 2. About eighty are said to have responded. The meeting featured reviews of the situation in Europe and of the problems in Palestine.

The meeting culminated with the adoption of a two-point resolution. It urged that, on the one hand, American Jews form a united committee to press governments for more effective assistance to Jewish refugees in Europe and also in connection with Palestine developments. It also declared that it was essential for American Jews themselves to meet their responsibilities to the overseas situation on a far greater scale. It was proposed that the JDC and UPA be urged to agree to the launching forthwith of a campaign through the United Jewish Appeal of $100,000,000. It was urged that American Jewish community leaders be promptly called together in a national conference to act upon such a resolution.