$17,850,000 Presented to U.J.A. at National Conference in Washington

“Every Jew, who, through the United Jewish Appeal and otherwise, aids in advancing Israel is a better man and a better American for doing so,” Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg of the U. S. Supreme Court told more than 200 key leaders from Jewish communities throughout the country assembled here at the two day National Inaugural Conference of the UJA.

He spoke at a dinner tonight at the Mayflower Hotel where the conference opened this morning to launch the 1964 UJA campaign which is seeking to raise this year a total of $105,000,000, of which $69,000,000 will be for the regular budget and $36,000,000 for a Special Fund devoted entirely to aiding the continued large movement of immigrants to Israel and their absorption there.

At tonight’s dinner, contributions totaling $17,850,000 were announced in initial gifts. A gift of $100,000 to the Women’s Division of the UJA of Greater New York was announced by Mrs. Herbert H. Lehman, in memory of her husband, the late Governor and U.S. Senator from New York. In her message to the conference, Mrs. Lehman pointed out that her husband “had been associated with the Joint Distribution Committee, a beneficiary agency of the UJA, since its inception and was deeply involved and concerned with its humanitarian work.” She expressed the hope that her 1964 gift “would help the UJA carry on its splendid work.”

PEACE IS COMMON GOAL OF U. S. AND ISRAEL, JUSTICE GOLDBERG STRESSES

Emphasizing that Israel “seeks to live in peace and freedom,” and pointing out that the goal of the United States is similarly “peace in freedom,” Justice Goldberg declared:

“These are Israel’s goals and these are America’s goals. It is for this reason that every Jew, who, through the UJA and otherwise aids in advancing Israel is a better man, and a better American for doing so. It is for this reason that no American, whether in or out of public office, need be restrained from reaffirming the traditional American policy of support for the integrity of Israel and for its peaceful development-support which America, in equal measure, offers to every other country in the Middle East.”

Noting the importance of Israel especially to those to whom freedom is yet a dream, Justice Goldberg said: “Although Israel’s self-reliance increases day by day, it will need help and support for many years to come. Millions of Jews still live behind an Iron Curtain of anti-Semitism and oppression. Their liberation is in your hands–their emigration to Israel and the few other countries who will admit them their only salvation. Jewish institutions here and elsewhere need increasing aid and assistance, if Jewish communities are to fulfill their proud tradition of maintaining Jewish spiritual and cultural life and of taking care of their own.”

Justice Goldberg pointed out that “in rescuing Jews from anti-Semitism and discrimination, and in enabling them to breathe the free air of Israel, the UJA is acknowledging the most ancient of Judaic Christian teaching that each man is truly his brother’s keeper. The burden of the UJA is a heavy but a proud one,” the Supreme Court Justice said. “Year after year it must discharge the never ending task of mobilizing the generosity of Jews and non-Jews in support of these essential efforts.

MAJOR U.J.A. NEEDS FOR 1964 OUTLINED BY LEADERS AT PARLEY

In addition to the main address delivered at the dinner by Justice Goldberg, the 200 American Jewish community leaders were addressed also by Joseph Meyerhoff of Baltimore, the UJA general chairman; Max M. Fisher of Detroit, associate general chairman; Edward Ginsberg of Cleveland, a national chairman; and Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman of New York, UJA executive vice-chairman. In their addresses the four leaders stressed the major needs for which American Jews must assume primary responsibility in 1964:

4. Assistance to thousands of Jews on the move to Israel and in other countries for permanent resettlement; 2. Elimination of the massive backlog of unmet needs of the thousands of Jewish immigrants who are not yet firmly absorbed in Israel’s social and economic life; and 3. The sustenance of a record number of Jews–refugees, those in transit, thousands living in Europe and North Africa–whose survival hinges on the continuance of UJA’s large-scale assistance programs.