After a period in the doldrums lost year, the flow of cash dollars from the United Jewish Appeal through the United Israel Appeal to Israel has picked up sharply in recent months. Figures for the first two months of 1980 show an increase of $4.5 million compared to the some period lost year.
The turnabout has coincided with the appointment to the post of Notional Cash Chairman of Edward Codden, 53, of Chicago. Because of the success-story told by the figures, Codden, who grew to UJA prominence as chairman of the Chicago campaign, has been hailed in national UJA circles as something of a whizz-kid, and observers predict o central role-for him in national UJA affairs in the future.
Codden himself modest and businesslike, attributes the upswing in cash-flow figures to hand work by himself and his cash committee’ in cooperation with regional committees across the country. An auto spare parts agent with solid business success behind him,. Codden recalls how he was telephoned in London “of one a.m. one night’ by UJA notional chairman Irwin Field and asked to take on the cash job.
When he look over in September, 1978, cash flow was $13 million down from the previous year. The turnabout in five months has been in the order of $18 million. In practical terms this means that a looming Jewish Agency deficit of some $44 million could be substantially cut.
Codden speaks earnestly of the “partner-ship.” between the UJA and Keren Hayesod and the Jewish Agency. He believes in it, and believes it is working. Being a big giver, or being involved in national UJA work gives him, and others, no right whatever to interfere in Israeli government policy making, Codden says firmly. “I don’t buy a place in the Israeli Cabinet ….” Thus he steers clear of commenting, in his UJA capacity, on Israeli government policy regarding settlements or other controversial issues.
DIASPORA SIDE OF THE PARTNERSHIP
But regarding the Jewish Agency, Codden is equally firm in favoring close and constant involvement between the UJA and the Agency. He has attended in Jerusalem this week the Agency Board of Governors meetings and the budgetary committee sessions that preceded them, and is satisfied that the diaspora side of the “partnership” is sufficiently informed and involved in setting priorities and shaping the brood policies. He notes that the Jerusalem meetings themselves followed preliminary consultations between the diaspora and Israeli sides.
It is to underscore, this “partnership” reality that Codden has initiated a visit to the U.S. shortly for a two-week across-the-nation tour of Jewish Agency Treasurer Akiva Levinsky. Codden, like other top UJA lay leaders, finds former Bank Hapoalim director Levinsky immensely impressive, efficient and straightforward.
He says that direct meetings between the man in charge of Agency expenditure and the major UJA centers will serve better than any other means to convince contributors and Federations of the importance of transferring pledges into cash and of shifting the cash speedily to the UJA and on to Israel.
Codden denies rumors rampant in Israel that a trend is developing among American Federation whereby a greater proportion of UJA funds is being allocated to local needs and lesser sums for Israel. “There may be isolated instances which I do not know of,” he said, “but there is no such trend.”
Similarly, Godden scotches another Israeli rumor — that past givers have cancelled pledges or ceased giving because they disapprove of Israeli settlement policy. The cases where he comes across such arguments are “very rare, says Codden. “And usually this is an excuse for not giving …. I know there is worry about this in Israel and among some UJA circles. But I myself don’t feel political views-affect giving.”
Codden also reports heartening news that campaign pledges are up this year by 18 percent over lest year. comparing the sums the some contributors pledged this year and last. Unfulfilled pledges remain constant at the UJA’s longtime low level of 4-5 percent.
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.
