National Chairman Pleads for Renewed Collection Effort
The sum of $3,500,000 will be needed by the Joint Distribution Committee to continue its program of relief and constructive work abroad up to the end of the year. The collection of this fund must be made immediately, according to a New Year call issued by David A. Brown, National Chairman of the United Jewish Campaign.
Early in May of this year Mr. Brown made an appeal for the collection of an emergency fund of $3,000,000 to cover the work of the Joint Distribution Committee during the summer months. This appeal was the result of an emergency conference held in New York City on April 30 and its purpose was to safeguard the Committee against the experience of former years when the slowing up of collections during the summer months threatened the collapse of the most vital reconstructive activities abroad. In many parts of the country in answer to this appeal, local committees taxed their energy to the limit in order to collect the necessary amounts and when this was impossible, borrowed money from local banks, so that the Joint Distribution Committee treasury would be sure to receive the funds required. However, in other communities . the collection efforts proved less successful. Altogether up to September 12. the actual amount collected and turned over to the J. D. C, was $1,454,888, less than half of the budget requirement.
While the Joint Distribution Committee has tiled during the summer months to carry out its program with the limited funds at its disposal, the offices both here and in Europe have been flooded with many new appeals for help from all parts of Eastern Europe. The situation in Russia owing to the poor harvest has become much worse than in previous years. Thousands upon thousands of Jews who cannot hope for an opportunity to turn to agriculture in the near future, are experiencing greater hardships and suffering than in the preceding years. Constructive relief in the form of aid for artisans and workers, medical relief, cultural relief is imperative immediately if thousands of lives are to be saved, the call points out.
The general improvement in economic conditions in Poland due to the American loan and other causes has not yet made itself felt in the life of Polish Jewry. Traders, artisans, manual laborers, so-called white collar workers are all of them going through a period of economic adjustment and reconstructive help from this country continues to be their main hope. Needless to say, all social activities such as orphan care, medical work, cultural work, cannot as yet rely on local resources for support and thousands of Jewish orphans and dependents are anxiously awaiting our aid. What is true of Russia and Poland, is also true of Roumania, Bessarabia, Transylvania, Lithuania, and other parts of Europe where economic ruin has still left its impress on Jewish every day life, Mr. Brown states.
The United Jewish Campaign which in most communities was conducted on a three year collection basis, still has over seven million dollars outstanding in the form of pledges. A great part of this money is due by the end of the current year. With the passing of the summer months and the renewal of philanthropic activity in every community throughout the country, it should require only effective organization and the energy of the driving force behind even campaign to collect the funds due and to bring to the treasury of the United Jewish Campaign the $6,500,000 needed to the end of this year. With the period of depression over and the country entering upon an era of prosperity, this task can be more readily accomplished at the present moment, Mr. Brown declares.
Congregation Emanu-El of Philadelphia, Pa. elected Rabbi M. A. Lozowick its spiritual leader. The Rabbi resigned from the Hiliside Hollis Jewish Center. Jamaica. L.I. to become the head of Emanu-El.
About a thousand people, among them the Mayor of Philadelphia and representatives of leading Jewish organizations, attended the memorial exercises for Solomon C. Kraus, until his death Grand Master of the Independent Order Brith Sholom at the Adath Jeshurun Synagogue. Philadelphia. Addresses were delivered by Rabbi Max D. Klein, of the Adath Jeshurun Congregation. Rabbi B. L. Levinthal, friend for many years of the late Mr. Kraus and Judge William M. Lewis, National Chairman of the United. Palestine Appeal.
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