93 ‘survival Centers’, 4-hour Telethon Mark Survival Sunday’ in Effort to Raise $10 Million

Ninety-three “survival centers” strategically located in synagogues and communal institutions throughout New York City, Westchester and Long Island became the focus this morning and afternoon of Jewish community life in the metropolitan area. It marked “Survival Sunday,” a massive philanthropic drive on behalf of the United Jewish Appeal and Federation of Jewish Philanthropies Joint Campaign.

The goal of the day’s activities, which culminated in the evening when more than 1200 house parties were held in conjunction with a four-hour television special on WPIX-TV (Channel 11), in which nationally famed stage, motion picture and television stars participated, was to raise $10 million contributions to the UJA-FJP joint campaign. This was the largest single day’s achievement in more than 50 years of community-wide fund-raising in New York for Jewish needs.

In Temple Emanu-El, 100 volunteer canvasers met for a briefing session before going out on their neighborhood rounds. With them was Howard Samuels and Elaine Siris Winik, “Mobilization for Survival” chairman and co-chairman, who created the “survival center” network, and Manhattan Chairman Robin Farkas.

A partial schedule of the many other “survival Sunday” activities include: in the Bronx, aged residents of Kittay House, solicited on the contribution of relatives making Sunday afternoon visits to the Jewish home and hospital for the aged: on Long Island, major “survival centers” were located at the Shelter Rock Jewish Center where some 200 canvassers began gathering early in the morning, and at Congregation Beth Sholom in Long Beach, where 200 more gathered.

Queens canvassers gathered at the Hillcrest Jewish Center, and Brooklynites gathered at the East Midwood Jewish Center. In Westchester, a “survival center” was located at Saks Fifth Avenue, White Plains, where an art sale was held. A young married group in Harrison traveled through the town in a bicycle caravan to the grounds of the Pleasant Ridge School, where they held a picnic featuring Israeli folk dancing, singing and fund-raising.