The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds today issued a report reviewing its work during the first six months of this year, and emphasizing that during that period the Council “has recorded the most intensive activity of its history.” The report was made public by Stanley C. Myers, president.
“As the national association of organized Jewish communities, the Council responds to General Assembly mandates and community needs by providing a record-breaking volume of direct service and national joint action in all spheres of Jewish communal life,” the report said. “These included national-local relations, multiple appeals, stable and unified fund-raising, overseas problems, campaigning, budgeting, community organization, social planning, regional activities and personnel.”
Pointing out that the work of the Council is being “actively directed and guided by more than 300 lay and professional community leaders,” Mr. Myers declared: “They are participating in the programs of more than 25 national, regional and departmental committees and are drawn from large and small communities in every part of the United States and Canada.
“On the overseas scence,” the report continued, “Harold Glasser, director of the C.J.F.W.F. Institute on Overseas Studies, has been conferring with top officials of the Israel Government, the Jewish Agency and other organizations on major concerns of American Jewish philanthropy. These include the achievement of self-support status for immigrants as quickly as possible, and exploration of methods to stretch the value of American philanthropic dollars to the limit of accomplishment.”
Through the C.J.F.W.F. Committee on Multiple Appeals, major emphasis has been placed on developing a central Israel philanthropic fund and budget, the reprot stated. The Council has also been cooperating closely with the Jewish Agency for Palestine in reducing the number of authorized campaigns, with 11 drives currently licensed. Continuing efforts are being directed at centralizing appeals for Yeshivoth and traditional institutions, Mr. Myers reported.
COOPERATION BETWEEN U.J.A. AND COMMUNITIES SET; COMMUNITY NEEDS NOTED
“With the new DP Act offering opportunity for increased Jewish immigration to the United States, the C.J.F.W.F. National-Local Relations Committee sponsored a meeting of the largest welfare funds with the United Service for New Americans,” the report revealed. “As a result of this meeting, an equitable formula for community assurance quotas was devised. This involved a reduction of original quotas by ten percent in cities taking more than ten units, through revision of plans affecting New York City.
“Following through on the General Assembly mandate to continue and strengthen liaison with the United Jewish Appeal, a special C.J.F.W.F. committee has maintained close cooperative relationships with the U.J.A. to help develop maximum mutual understanding between the U.J.A. and communities on common objectives,” the report continued. “Extension of the liaison committee principle to include the Joint Defense Appeal was also authorized by the C.J.F.W.F. executive committee. A National-Local Relations subcommittee is exploring the possibilities of further integrating the immigration work of U.S.N.A., J.D.C. and HIAS.
“Continuing its long-range efforts, the C.J.F.W.F. Committee on Stable and Unified Fund Raising held a series of meetings with representatives of national and overseas agencies. The objective of these meetings was to achieve greater coordination, effectiveness and economy in national campaign and promotion programs. A number of important agreements carried out to date include consolidation of mailing pieces by fields of service, the building of maximum cooperation of local chapters with welfare fund campaigns and the revision of mailing lists,” the report stressed.
Related to all of this, the report noted the initiation of a basic study of local Jewish community organization which will aid cities in analyzing their current needs and strengthen central communal agencies. The report also noted the continuation of the C.J.F.W.F. personnel service to communities and major national beneficiaries in securing qualified executive personnel.
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