Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler Addresses Federation’s Annual Meeting
Non-municipal hospitals affiliated with the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies last year led the field in free service, it was reported by Sol M. Stroock, to the annual meeting of the Federation yesterday at Temple Beth El.
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University, delivered the principal address of the meeting, speaking on “The True Basis of Philanthropy.” Dr. William H. Gratwick, president of the State Board of Charities, addressed the meeting and Col. H. A. Guinsburg, treasurer of the Federation, presented his report.
“Among private and semi-public general hospitals, Mount Sinai, gave the greatest amount of free service and among hospitals for the chronically ill, Montefiore Hospital headed the list,” Mr.Stroock stated. “Of the total number of patients treated during 1927 by fifty-six leading non-municipal hospitals, twenty-nine per cent, were free patients. The percentage of free patients at Mount Sinai was sixty-one per cent and at Montefiore it was fifty-seven per cent. I am informed that these examples are typical of the situation with regard to the percentage of free patients in the other great hospitals and medical centers affiliated with the Federation.”
“While Federation itself is essentially Jewish,” stated Mr. Stroock, in his report, “and while all of the affiliated societies are themselves Jewish, it must be borne in mind that in their philanthropic activities and especially in the great field of hospital care and medical relief, a large number of persons who are not Jews receive care, attention and relief. In recognition of the services rendered by the institutions affiliated with the Federation, not only among Jews but among those of other faiths and creeds, a number of our citizens not of our faith have again made substantial contributions to Federation, among which the notable gift of $50,000 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. is an outstanding tribute to the effectiveness of the service which these institutions perform.”
Mr. Stroock presaged success for the Protestant Federation of Charities, recently organized, adding that there is a clearly developing tendency for institutional work to group around a religious center. He quoted the Protestant group as saying that the creation of a strong Protestant and non-Sectarian nucleus “will, it is hoped and believed, have great influence in bringing into closer relationship the three important religious divisions:–Catholics, Jews and Protestants.”
Analyzing the budgets for 1927 for the 91 affiliated societies, Mr. Stroock stated that the gross amounts spent by the institutions was $8,545,205 and the net amount was $4,377,829.14, the difference being due to income of institutions from other sources, such as endowments, funds derived from institutional activities, payments from the City to hospitals and child care agencies, etc. In addition to provisions for the regular activities, the budget contained subventions for the Bureau of Jewish Social Research, the Training School for Jewish Social Work and for the newly established Vocational Bureau for the Handicapped, a cooperative non-sectarian agency serving all groups of the community.
Reference was made to the Jewish Communal Survey of Greater New York, undertaken two years ago at the request of a citizens’ committee and now nearing completion. The aim of the survey is to study the communal resources of the Jewish community and to adopt a course of communal development which will best serve the needs of the community as a whole.
The report by the treasurer showed that $4,629,340 was received during the year in cash receipts.
The following trustees at large, whose erms expired yesterday, were re-elected for three year terms: Walter E. Beer, Eli H. Bernheim, Col. H. A. Guinzburg, Arthur Lehman, Max D. Steucr, Cyrus L. Sulzberger and Maurice Wertheim. Emil Goldmark and Ira M. Younker were elected for three year terms to take the place of Herman Lissner and B. C. Vladeck, whose terms expired yesterday.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
