Distress in London Jewish Community: Unemployment Rife Jewish Board of Guardians Reports: Requests F

For some months the Jewish working classes seemed less hardly hit than others, the annual report of the London Jewish Board of Guardians just issued states. The explanation probably is that it is only after trading losses in other businesses are realised that the lack of spending power of the public rreacts on the essentially Jewish trades, tailoring, millinary, furriery and cabinetmaking. Distress has now spread to our people, unemployment is rife, and the number of requests for assistance from those of good social position has increased greatly. These have come from the most surprising quarters, from men and women who have themselves been donors to charity in their time of prosperity. This has occasioned considerable inroads on the Private Fund, which is in urgent need of replenishment. It is obviously impossible to publish details of these cases, but they are very heartrending; it is so difficult to help them without wounding their self-respect. Even to ask them to attend at the offices of the Board causes some pain, and we have in many instances spared them what they might have considered a humiliation.