Jewish Welfare Funds Throughout the Country Report Substantial Gains in Fund Raising

The mobilization of Jewish communities – through accelerated welfare fund campaigns – to meet the challenge of increasingly urgent needs in Israel, overseas and at home, has already resulted in initial gains of 15 to 27 percent over funds raised from the same people compared with 1950, it was reported here today by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Reports to the Council from its member communities throughout the United States and Canada cite solid acceptance of the “urgency and primacy of philanthropic gifts “for the United Jewish Appeal and other overseas, national and local needs supported by welfare funds, vigorous campaign leadership, large-scale enrollment of volunteer worker, and the improvement of business and tax conditions as the chief factors in the increased funds being contributed by American Jewry.

Early campaign successes have been reported by communities of all sizes. Typical are the reports of Baltimore, Cleveland, Newark, and Miami. Joseph Meyerhoff, general chairman of the Baltimore Associated Jewish Charities and Welfare Fund, reported a 22.5 percent increase in funds raised from the same people. As of this week, Baltimore has received $1,637,794 from contributors who pledged $1,255,695 in 1950.

Backbone of the Cleveland campaign, which is running 20 percent ahead of 1950, is “the clear realization in the community of the role of the welfare fund appeal and the establishment of cooperative relations to assure the success of the philanthropic drive and the sale of bonds.” Eugene Goodman, general campaign chairman, is stressing the immediate task at hand, namely the Cleveland Jewish Welfare Fund Appeal, as the community’s first priority.

Newark raised 27.5 percent more funds than in 1950 at its Advance Gifts Dinner. This represented $390,000 for 1951 as against $307,000 from the same cards in 1950. This success has been followed by the greatest attendance at an Opening Dinner – 1,200 guests – in the community’s entire campaign history as a dramatic demonstration of the community’s interest in the current campaign.

Miami, although it began its campaign too early to receive full benefit from the upsurge in business and favorable tax developments, reports a total of $900,000 raised to date. This is a 15 percent increase over the same gifts last year. The women’s division, which is “waging an extremely aggressive” campaign, will show a 50 percent increase over 1950.

Julian Freemen, Indianapolis, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in a report to the Council Board of Directors, declared that the optimistic reports pouring in from communities offer clear evidence that on the whole, communities are meeting “the ultimate test of orderly and successful procedure” in meeting their responsibilities to Israel, through the Four Point Program, and for overseas, national and local services.