Tens of thousands of Jews in various parts of the world, including Israel, will continue to need assistance from the Joint Distribution Committee “for long periods to come” despite the fact that 1954 was in some ways a year of stability for the JDC and its overseas assistance programs, it was reported here by Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman of the organization.
Mr. Leavitt emphasized in the annual report issued by the JDC today that to area of the world was able to reflect any marked decrease in the number of men, women and children who require JDC aid.” He pointed out that although there was “substantial progress,” the world still “presents a picture of continuing large-scale need which cannot be expected to disappear overnight and which continues to be JDC’s responsibility.”
During 1954, the report shows, the JDC spent $25,686,255 for aid to more than 164,000 needy Jews in 25 countries overseas. For the current year the organization has adopted a budget of $29,403,000 to aid an estimated 160,000 overseas. “It is perhaps incredible,” the report notes, “that all over the world there are still thousands of people who must consider themselves homeless and whose only hope for a decent future lies in emigration.” JDC is cooperating closely with governmental, intergovernmental and voluntary agencies in “seeking solutions for the problems of the refugees.”
WARBURG, BAERWALD, SCHWARTZ APPEAL TO U.S. JEWS FOR SUPPORT
Edward M.M. Warburg, JDC chairman and UJA president, declares in the report that “JDC’s work today is more meaningful than ever. For not only are the needs not diminishing, but at this moment only JDC is able to do what must be done to provide the aid which is vitally needed. This is true of the extraordinary work being done by JDC–North Africa, an area which threatens to become more and more dangerous {SPAN}###{/SPAN} of the future of the Jewish community there. It is true of the heartwarming work of Melben in Israel, where the standards which JDC has established with this unique welfare program continue to be a glowing chapter of our generation’s social engineering.”
The JDC chairman urges that JDC’s aid be translated into the “living salvation” it has meant for thousands overseas and declares that “once we have done this I am sure that all who have participated will rightfully gain not only a sense of pride but a desire to continue through the United Jewish Appeal the support of these enormous life-saving tasks which we have undertaken.”
Paul Baerwald, former JDC chairman and now the agency’s honorary chairman, sums up in the report “the reasons for JDC’s coming into being, the reasons for its continued existence the reasons for the extraordinary efforts which it has evoked and undertaken during the ### of events, in three words: “It was necessary.”
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, JDC director-general (on leave) and vice-president of the Development Corporation for Israel, notes in the report that “there will certainly be a day when a permanent foundation will have been established, when enough progress will have been made in Europe and in North Africa and in Israel so that JDC’s aid is no longer essential-but that day has not yet been reached.” He calls upon the American Jewish community to give maximum support to the JDC and the United Jewish Appeal.
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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.
