The board of directors of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds has voted to extend the activities of the Council’s Institute on Overseas Studies through it was announced here today here today. The action was taken at the May meeting of the board, the recommendations of a special committee which reviewed the Institute’s accomplishments since its inception in 1947. The committee was headed by Herbert R. Abeles of Newark.
The committee report noted that the Institute had taken an important role in securing refunds from the International Refugee Organization to Jewish agencies for costs of transporting DP’s to Israel, reducing multiple campaigns, eliminating mass commodity drives, revision of land purchase policies in Israel, pointing up areas of duplication in overseas emigration services, and analyzing overseas budgets. Reports of on the spot studies made by Harold Glasser, Institute director, and other staff members, also gave communities factual material on which to appraise their responsibilities to European and Israeli needs.
For the balance of 1949, and in 1950, the Institute program will be based on three main phases: 1. To report objectively to communities on the needs, finances, programs, and relationships of overseas agencies; 2. To make suggestions on policies and programs to the overseas organizations; 3. To suggest means by which inter-governmental and governmental agencies can give aid to the Jews needing assistance in Europe and in Israel.
As regards Israel, the Institute will devote itself to studying the appropriate responsibility of the American Jewish communities in the light of the economic trends, the welfare needs and service developments of Israel, foreign governmental loans, private investments and local resources.
WILL STUDY PROGRAMS OF AGENCIES TRANSFERRING THEIR ACTIVITIES TO ISRAEL
Other projects connected with Israel will include a study of the general industrial and agricultural development and potentials in Israel’s needs for foreign exchange, and studies of the programs of agencies which have traditionally operated in Europe but which are now moving into Israel. The Institute will work closely with the newly-established Commission on Multiple Appeals of the Jewish Agency, and the Government of Israel, to minimize the problem of miscellaneous, multiple appeals.
On the European phase of the Institute’s work, it will analyze the continuing need for Jewish philanthropic programs in relation to the exodus of DP’s, the economic revival of Western European Jewish communities, the action by East European government of developing functions and imposing limitations on the work of voluntary agencies, and the departure of large groups of Jews from East European countries to Israel.
“The Institute program, in the light of these trends, will concentrate on keeping Jewish communities factually informed as a basis for local policies and decisions,” the statement said. “It will continue efforts to integrate the immigration services of JDC. HIAS, and USNA. Further exploration will be made of the possibilities of IRO undertaking more of its logical responsibilities for the DP’s ## remaining in Europe.” The Institute will also make a special study of the currently expanding work on the political problems of overseas Jewry which is being sponsored by various national Jewish organizations, the announcement declared.
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