Conference of Jewish Federations Discusses Problems Facing American Jewry Next Year

Citing the tremendous continuing large-scale overseas and domestic needs in 1950, about 150 delegates to the 14th annual conference of the Southeastern Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, meeting here, called upon communities to strengthen their local organizations as an effective means of meeting these needs and urged national and overseas agencies to “bend every effort” to cooperate in providing communities with constructive campaign aid through minimizing competition and reducing costs of promotion.

Julian Freeman, of Indianapolis, president of the C.J.F.W.F. East Central Region and chairman of its Committee on United and Stable National Fund Raising, told the delegates that his committee is scheduled to meet with national and over seas agencies on September 20 to discuss cooperative means of cutting fund-raising and promotion costs. He declared that the organized Jewish communities of America, acting through a General Assembly directive creating his committee, are seeking to buttress national Jewish fund-raising by achieving greater stability, greater unification and more responsible community participation in the basic policies of national and overseas programs.

Marx Bored, of Memphis, was reelected regional president. The delegates passed resolutions relating to the enactment of more liberal Displaced Persons legislation, and C.J.F.W.F. participation in 1950 U.J.A. contract negotiations, and also set up a permanent regional committee on social services. Arnold Gurin, budget research director of the C.J.F.W.F., reported on 1949 campaign results and the outlook for 1950 campaigns.

Mr. Freeman asserted that the “very magnitude” of fund-raising efforts in recent years has placed emphasis upon the basic tenet that “communal responsibility has superseded group or individual philanthropy.” He added that communal responsibility can be met properly only through central communal organization, planning and financing.

FUND-RAISING DECLINE OF 17 PERCENT IS REPORTED FOR THIS YEAR

He warned against believing the “false position” that the American Jewish communities are espousing the cause of local services versus overseas needs. “We have never raised that question,” Mr. Freeman emphasized. “The overseas needs are as much our responsibility as the local needs, but we do insist that in our efforts to meet those overseas needs we should meet them with the same analytical perception and with the same businesslike methods as we approach our business problems.”

Mr. Gurin, reporting that a decline of 17 percent from 1948 fund-raising levels is indicated on the basis of present reports, declared that this factor presented communities with a new set of problems in considering the 1950 campaign. Emphasizing the continued needs of Israel, mounting pressure for meeting local needs, and the emergence of new projects in the community relations, cultural and religious fields, Mr. Gurin said the dual problem was as follows: 1. How can fund-raising be maintained at the highest possible levels in 1950 and later years? 2. Since even maximum fund raising will not meet the total need, what can be done to make sure that the most urgent requirements are met?

He outlined the C.J.F.W.F. program for 1950 to aid communities in meeting these problems. Acting for the communities, the C.J.F.W.F. will participate in J.D.C.U.P.A. negotiations for the 1950 contract and will present proposals covering flexibility in dividing U.J.A. funds, in accordance with greatest priority needs; J.N.F. traditional collections, relationship of U.J.A. to other overseas campaigns, procedures for conducting the U.J.A. campaign most effectively, and for promoting good relationships between the U.J.A. and local communities.