Deeply moved by reports of the new migration of Jews from Rumania to Israel and stirred to action by an eloquent appeal for continued generosity from American Jewry made by Avraham Harman, member of the Jewish Agency executive in Israel, pre-campaign leaders, gathered at the annual and traditional Sucher Meeting here, pledged the sum of $1, 913, 785 towards the 1959 Allied Jewish Campaign. The pledgers of this sum–a record figure for initiating a local philanthropic effort last year contributed $1, 713, 960.
The Sucher Meeting was the seventh annual such gathering at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. William Sucher. It has become a tradition here to open the Allied Jewish Campaign with a social event for larger contributors at the Suchers’ home. Many of the 110 people at the meeting made very large increases in their giving, and a number of contributors gave as much as 25 to 50 percent above their last year’s gifts. Several doubled their pledges.
Mr. Harman said that there are 1,100, 000 Jews who are prepared to leave a number of countries. These people, he said, have been denied until now freedom of movement. With permission granted to many to leave for Israel, he indicated that close to 100, 000 may be expected to leave Rumania alone this year. He warned that a similar mass movement may soon take place from Morocco, and he admonished the Detroit campaign leaders to be prepared for action and to assist in the unprecedented work to meet the challenge in the new crisis.
Describing the difficulties that are faced by Israel in solving the challenging problems created by the large waves of immigration, Mr. Harman said that the newcomer will need work and will meet with many disappointments. “It’s not easy to be a migrant at 40 and to become adjusted to new occupations, ” he said. “But it is not a calamity but a great challenge and an opportunity to push forward reconstruction on a basis of dignity and freedom. I am confident that you will rise to new heights as a Jewish community in this historic campaign. “
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.
