A minimum of 5000 volunteers will fan out from 100 “survival centers” on Sunday morning, May 18 in a massive philanthropic drive throughout New York City and its environs on behalf of the United Jewish Appeal and Federation of Jewish Philanthropies Joint Campaign, it was announced today by Howard Samuels, chairman of the New York Jewish community’s current “Mobilization for Survival.”
Samuels said the volunteers would call on at least 50,000 prospective contributors in the eight counties covered by the joint campaign within a few hours on “Survival Sunday.” He and his co-chairman, Mrs. Elaine Siris Winik, a Jewish communal leader, are aiming at 100,000 contributions totalling $10 million in a single day. Some 3000 individuals have already committed themselves to be canvassers who will visit prospective contributors in their neighborhoods or will open their homes for fund-raising gatherings that evening, Samuels reported.
Samuels, a businessman, philanthropist, former Gubernatorial candidate and organizer of New York City’s Off-Track Betting (OTB) network will visit City Hall tomorrow to receive from Mayor Abraham D. Beame a proclamation of May 18 as “Survival Sunday” in the city. On the evening of May 18, a four-hour “Survival Spectacular” will be broadcast by WPIX-TV on behalf of the campaign. About 2000 fund-raising parties are expected to be held in private homes throughout the metropolitan area. Samuels predicted that the goals of “Survival Sunday” would be achieved.
WEEK-LONG MOBILIZATION IN LOS ANGELES
In a similar undertaking, Shavuot will be marked by an intensive week-long (May 11-18) United Jewish Welfare Fund effort spearheaded by synagogues and temples throughout Greater Los Angeles, it was announced by Mrs. Lawrence Jay Weinberg, JFC’s president. Some 75 congregations affiliated with the Jewish Federation Council Board of Rabbis of Southern California will be taking part in a total community drive to “harvest” pledges and gather commitments from members for the annual campaign. Rabbi Joseph Smith, campaign chairman of the Board of Rabbis and Irwin S. Field, UJWF general campaign chairman, are organizing the Shavuot fund-raising observance.
A multiplicity of fund-raising activities, telephone sessions and card cleanup meetings will culminate in special UJWF Sabbath observances during Friday evening and Saturday morning services (May 16-17). As part of the massive, community-wide effort, congregations will conduct special telephone cleanup sessions May 18 to solicit outstanding gifts and to emphasize the importance of total participation in the drive. At the same time, scores of UJWF volunteer leaders will canvass the community as part of a major people-to-people, door-to-door personalized solicitation effort. They will spread out through the city to reach as many caring Jews as possible with the poignant message of human needs.
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.
