Allied Jewish Campaign to End Dec. 31; Plan Drives for J.D.C. and Agency in January

The termination of the Allied Jewish Campaign as of December 31 and the launching of two new campaigns, one for the Joint Distribution Committee and another for the American Palestine Campaign of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, early in 1931 were announced tonight by Felix M. Warburg and Dr. Cyrus Adler, on behalf of the Joint Distribution Committee and the American members of the Jewish Agency, respectively, in a statement issued through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Joint Distribution Committee’s drive will open in January while that of the American Palestine Campaign will start early in 1931. A national conference to initiate this latter campaign will be held in New York on January 25.

The full text of the statement issued by Felix Warburg and Dr. Cyrus Adler is as follows:

“The Allied Jewish Campaign, of which the Joint Distribution Committee and the American members of the Jewish Agency for Palestine are the constituent bodies, was formally launched at the National Conference in Washington, D. C. on March 8th and 9th of this year. It was created in compliance with a widespread sentiment to establish a common ground for unified effort to ameliorate the lot of suffering Jewry overseas and to give support to the movement for the upbuilding of a Jewish National Home in Palestine.

“Since the inception of this campaign forces in Jewish life in this country, which had heretofore worked separately, have labored side by side in harmony and with mutual goodwill for both of the causes unified in the Allied Jewish Campaign. Important communal values have been created by thees joint efforts and the foundation has been laid for enduring cooperation in many communities on behalf of Jewish causes—local, national and overseas.

CAMPAIGNS IN 230 CITIES

“During the nine months that have elapsed since the Allied Jewish Campaign began, interrupted only by the enforced lull of the summer months, local campaigns on behalf of this unified effort, have been held in upward of 230 cities and towns. Neither the prevalent economic depression, the Arab disturbances in Palestine at the end of August, 1929, the Shaw Commission Report, nor the Passfield White Paper concerning the Jewish work in Palestine, were permitted by the leaders of the Allied Jewish Campaign to abate their efforts.

“In addition to these factors, the leaders of the Campaign were faced by the large and unusually successful collections of the Palestine Emergency Fund in this country, which in the short space of several months, raised a sum in excess of $2,000,000 and rehabilitation of the victims of the Palestine disorders and for the purpose of assuring them of a larger measure of security.

“In the face of the exceptionally unfavorably economic and other adverse factors which confronted the Campaign since its inception, it has succeeded in securing pledges in the amount of $2,500,000, of which almost $1,500,000 has been paid into its treasury.

TERMS OF AGREEMENT

According to the terms of the agreement between the Joint Distribution Committee and the American members of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the Allied Jewish Campaign is to terminate on December 31st of this year. Representatives of the two organizations have had many conferences during the past two months on the question of the continuance of combined fund-raising. The increasingly pressing need for immediate funds for the activities of both organizations, the differing budgetary requirements and the advisability of permitting as much freedom of choice and support as possible during the present trying economic period, have made it desirable, in their opinion, to separate their fundraising activities. It is hoped thereby to enable each organization to emphasize its own requirements in those quarters where it may meet the most sympathetic response. Funds for these organizations will, after December 31st, be raised separately, save in those communities where local campaigns have already been scehduled.”

“In such communities where preparations for Allied Jewish Campaigns are under way and dates have been fixed for the campaigns, these are to be conducted in accordance with the arrangements already made. The funds raised in these campaigns will be distributed to the beneficiary organizations in the same manner that they have been distributed during the period of the life of the Allied Jewish Campaign.

To raise the funds for the program of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, a campaign will be conducted early in 1931, and will be known as the American Palestine Campaign of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. A national conference to initiate this campaign will be held in New York on January 25th.

The Joint Distribution Committee will, likewise, inaugurate its campaign in January 1931, to continue its program of reconstruction, cultural, health and sanitation, child-care, credit and industrial aid in Eastern Europe.

“Every endeavor will be made by both organizations so to conduct their campaigns as to keep intact the harmony, the mutual goodwill and cooperation which have been such important by-products of the Allied Jewish Campaign. To promote harmonious relationship between the Joint Distribution Committee campaign and the American Palestine campaign of the Jewish Agency, a Committee on Campaign Relations has been established, which will assume its duties early in 1931.

To the four National Chairmen of the Allied Jewish Campaign, Messrs. Paul Baerwald, David M. Bressler, William M. Lewis and Morris Rothenberg, and to their associates and coworkers throughout this country, the Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency express their profound gratitude for their splendid labors and accomplishment and especially for the high plane of harmonious cooperation and the mutual goodwill upon which they have conducted the entire effort.”