DR. CYRUS ADLER, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, STATED: “THE DEATH OF FELIX M. WARBURG IS A GREAT BLOW TO ALL ISRAEL AND TO INNUMERABLE PUBLIC CAUSES IN PHILANTHROPY, LEARNING, EDUCATION, MUSIC AND ART. FOR NEARLY A GENERATION, AND WITHOUT ANY DISSENT, HIS LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN ISRAEL HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AND HE WAS A WORLD-WIDE FIGURE. I AM SO OVERCOME AT THIS SAD NEWS THAT I CANNOT AT THE MOMENT ADEQUATELY ESTIMATE HIS NUMEROUS AND GREAT PUBLIC LABORS. MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY GOES TO HIS FAMILY, AND THEY KNOW THAT I SHARE THEIR GRIEF. FELIX WARBURG HAS BEEN MY FRIEND FOR OVER FORTY YEARS. THE WORLD WILL BE A POORER PLACE FOR ME WITHOUT HIM.”
MAYOR LAGUARDIA
MAYOR LAGUARDIA’S STATEMENT FOLLOWS: “I AM SADDENED TO HEAR OF THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF FELIX WARBURG. WE WERE CLOSE FRIENDS FOR MANY YEARS. HIS INTEREST AND DEVOTION TO ART CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY. MR. WARBURG WAS SOCIALLY MINDED AND EVERY WORTHWHILE CAUSE MET HIS IMMEDIATE AND GENEROUS RESPONSE. THE CITY HAS LOST A DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN, AND HE LEAVES A LARGE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS WHO ADMIRED AND LOVED HIM.
DR. STEPHEN S. WISE
DR. STEPHEN S. WISE, PRESIDENT OF THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, SAID IN PART: “IT IS DIFFICULT TO SPEAK IN TERMS OF MODERATION OF FELIX WARBURG. HE WAS SUCH AN OUTSTANDING FIGURE IN THE WORLD WHICH HE SERVED WITH GENEROSITY, WITH PERSONAL KINDLINESS AND WITH GENUINE GRACE THAT HIS PASSING MEANS A TRULY GREAT LOSS. FELIX WARBURG LOVED THE BEST AND HIGHEST IN LIFE IN THE ARTS AND IN THE REALM OF HUMAN SERVICE. ART, MUSIC, OUR CITY, OUR COUNTRY AND WORLD ISRAEL ARE THE POORER FOR THE PASSING OF WARBURG, WHOSE MEMORY WILL NOT BE SUFFERED TO DIE OUT OF THE HEART OF HUMANITY.”
DR. MAURICE J. KARPF
DR. MAURICE J. KARPF, HEAD OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL FOR JEWISH SOCIAL WORK, SAID IN A STATEMENT: “I DARE NOT BEGIN TO THINK WHAT THE DEATH OF THIS ONE MAN MAY MEAN TO COUNTLESS ORGANIZATIONS, MOVEMENTS AND PERSONS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. I CAN THINK OF NO ONE WHOSE ACTIVITY COVERS SUCH A WIDE SPHERE AS DID THAT OF MR. WARBURG. THE CIVIC, ARTISTIC, EDUCATIONAL, PHILANTHROPIC AND OTHER PROBLEMS ON WHICH HE WORKED AND TOWARD WHICH HE MADE PROFOUND CONTRIBUTIONS WILL ALL BE SEVERELY AFFECTED BY HIS PASSING. SOME MAY NEVER SURVIVE THE LOSS.”
UNITED PALESTINE APPEAL
THE OFFICERS OF THE UNITED PALESTINE APPEAL ADOPTED A RESOLUTION, WHICH SAID IN PART: “THE UNITED PALESTINE APPEAL IS DISMAYED BY THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF FELIX M. WARBURG, GREAT-HEARTED AMERICAN AND JEW. THE CAUSE OF THE UPBUILDING OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME DERIVED GREAT STRENGTH FROM THE DEVOTED SERVICE OF MR. WARBURG, WHOSE PROFOUND COMPASSION WAS TOUCHED BY THE PLIGHT OF MILLIONS OF JEWS OVERSEAS SEEKING A HAVEN OF SECURITY.”
PAUL BAERWALD
PAUL BAERWALD, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE, SAID IN A STATEMENT: “ONLY THOSE WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH FELIX WARBURG WILL EVER BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE FULLY THE EXTENT AND VARIETY OF HIS ACTIVITIES AND THE FULL MEANING OF HIS WORK. THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE, REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF BENEFICIARIES ABROAD AND THOUSANDS OF CONTRIBUTORS TO ITS FUNDS IN THE UNITED STATES, WILL NEVER FORGET THE EPOCH-MAKING CONTRIBUTION OF FELIX WARBURG TO EVERY PHASE OF OUR SERVICE, AND THEIR DEVOTION AND LOVE FOR HIM WILL LAST LONG BEYOND THEIR PRESENT GENERATION. OUR SENSE OF LOSS IS GREAT BEYOND WORDS.”
OTHER OFFICIALS OF THE J.D.C. WHO ISSUED STATEMENTS ARE JAMES N. ROSENBERG, CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL; JOSEPH C. HYMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; ALEXANDER KAHN, VICE-CHAIRMAN; ISIDORE COONS, CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR; DAVID M. BRESSLER, VICE-CHAIRMAN; RABBI JONAH B. WISE, VICE-CHAIRMAN; AND WILLIAM ROSENWALD, VICE-CHAIRMAN.
SOL M. STROOCK
SOL M. STROOCK, MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE: “THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF FELIX M. WARBURG COMES TO US ALL AS A STUPENDOUS SHOCK. HE WAS SO VITAL, SO ENERGETIC, SO SELFLESS IN SERVICE THAT WE CANNOT CONCEIVE WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO CARRY ON WITHOUT HIS INDOMITABLE LEADERSHIP. JEWRY ALL OVER THE WORLD HAS LOST ITS SUPREME GUIDE AND LEADER. AMERICA AND HUMANITY EVERYWHERE HAVE SUFFERED AN IRREPARABLE LOSS. IN THIS TRAGIC MOMENT WE STAND AGHAST AND PRAY FOR GUIDANCE.”
HERBERT BAYARD SWOPE
HERBERT BAYARD SWOPE SENT THE FOLLOWING TELEGRAM TO MRS. WARBURG: “I AM SHOCKED AT THE BLOW WHICH HAS FALLEN UPON YOU AND UPON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN THE DEATH OF YOUR HUSBAND. ALWAYS IMPORTANT IN THE LIFE OF THE NATION, HE WAS NEVER MORE SO THAN AT THIS MOMENT. HIS KINDLINESS, HIS HONOR, HIS WISDOM AND HIS BROAD UNDERSTANDING GAVE HIM AN EQUIPMENT THAT FEW HAVE EQUALLED. MY WIFE AND I SEND YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN OUR DEEP SYMPATHY.
MRS. EDWARD JACOBS
MRS. EDWARD JACOBS, NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF HADASSAH, SAID: “THE DEATH OF FELIX M. WARBURG, WHO WAS REGARDED FOR YEARS AS A FOREMOST LEADER OF AMERICAN JEWRY, IS A TRAGIC LOSS TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE….HIS CONSTANT STRIVING TO BRING TOGETHER ZIONISTS AND NON-ZIONISTS IN THE COMMON TASK OF BUILDING THE JEWISH HOMELAND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE REGARDED AS ONE OF HIS MOST CONSTRUCTIVE ENDEAVORS.”
B.C. VLADECK
B.C. VLADECK, CHAIRMAN OF THE JEWISH LABOR COMMITTEE: “FELIX WARBURG’S DEATH IS A REAL BLOW TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NEW YORK AND THE COUNTRY AT LARGE. HE WAS NOT ONLY A PHILANTHROPIST, BUT A HUMANITARIAN AS WELL WITH BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND HIS LEADERSHIP WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.”
FUNERAL SERVICES SET FOR FRIDAY
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR MR. WARBURG WILL BE HELD TEN O’CLOCK FRIDAY MORNING AT TEMPLE EMANU-EL.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
