In an effort to collect much needed cash on pledges made to 19 United Jewish Appeal Federation campaigns throughout the Southwest, Leon H. Brachman, UJA southwest region cabinet chairman and private pilot from Fort Worth, is initiating “Operation Pony Express” tomorrow and Tuesday. He will fly Mitchell Rasansky, regional cash chairman from Dallas, and other regional leaders 4,000 miles on the two-day cash collection mission.
“We’re following the modern tradition of airborne Jewish rescue,” explained Rasansky. “Almost 30 years ago, UJA’s Operation Magic Carpet flew 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel ‘on the wings of eagles’. The next year, the Operation Ezra airlift brought more than twice that number from Iraq. Now, UJA’s ‘Operation Pony Express’ will collect desperately needed cash to keep programs of immigrant aid and absorption going, as part of the ongoing Jewish lifeline linking the American Jewish communities with our brothers and sisters overseas.”
“Operation Pony Express” will make stops tomorrow in EI Paso, Laredo and Corpus Christi, and will be met by Jewish community leaders at the airport for brief 15-minute check presentations. On Tuesday, the group will fly to san Antonio, Austin, Waco, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Shreveport, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Beaumont, Galveston, Houston and Tyler. The UJA is seeking to collect $150 million in cash by June 30. Total cash goal for Calendar year 1977 is $300 million.
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.
