Jewish federations and welfare fund campaigns in the United States will raise in 1966 $5, 000, 000 more than was raised in 1965 for operating purposes, the board of directors of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds reported here today. This increase will follow a gain of $5, 000, 000 in 1965, for a total increase of $10, 000, 000 in the two years.
The board reviewed major issues facing the American Jewish community, foreign and domestic. The CJFWF overseas service committee, headed by Irving Kane, of Cleveland, told the meeting that bringing massive numbers of dependent recent immigrants to self-support in Israel and other countries must now be a prime goal of American Jewish aid in 1967 and later years.
Max Fisher, of Detroit, CJFWF vice-president and chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, reported that more than 200, 000 immigrants are on relief or work relief in Israel, and that growing unemployment there is aggravating the problem. Other problems considered were plugging gaps in Israeli high school education, integrating eastern and western immigrants, strengthening health and welfare services, and control of multiple appeals for Israel.
Lavy M. Becker, of Montreal, vice-chairman of the CJFWF committee on federation planning for Jewish education, reported that the committee was examining the recruitment, training and utilization of teachers and administrators. He said the committee found that few Jewish communities have made provision to recruit able teachers, and that there are serious shortages in others.
The board approved a new financing formula of community grants to increase the number of scholarships produced by the CJFWF national scholarship fund from 15 to 25 each year. The fund was organized to help meet the continuing shortages in Jewish communal agency staffs.
Louis Stern, of Newark, chairman of the CJFWF health services committee, reported rising costs were affecting services of all hospitals. But with increased Federal aid through Medicare, he said, there might be less pressures on Jewish federations for deficit financing for Jewish-sponsored hospitals. The board urged increased support of anti-poverty programs and implementation of Medicaid in states which have not done so.
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