Fund-raising Campaigns Going Well Despite Recession, C. J. F. W. F. Reports

Despite economic recession, Jewish fund-raising campaigns this year are generally moving better than originally predicted, it was reported at a meeting of the board of directors of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds held here under the chairmanship of Herbert R. Abeles, CJFWF president.

“Many top givers have increased their gifts,” Louis J. Fox. chairman of the CJFWF Campaign Planning Committee, reported to the 33 members of the board who attended the meeting. “Individuals, trades and cities have been affected with varying degrees of intensity by the economic situation. Yet there are reports of striking individual gifts even in industries that are hardest hit.”

Mr. Fox was joined by William Rosenwald, CJFWF vice-president and national UJA leader, Stanley C. Myers, past president of the Council, and other community leaders in an assessment of the campaign situation. They agreed that communities were adjusting to 1958 conditions with “flexibility and imagination.” Current stress is on individual solicitation of persons who can give more, and on trades and industries not too sharply affected by economic conditions, they said.

The board authorized on-the-scene consultations in Israel this summer by a small group of Council leaders with top Israel officials. They will review Israel’s future needs for philanthropic funds, economic conditions and prospects, relation of welfare funds to other support, use of philanthropic funds, operations of the Jewish Agency, manpower problems and training and education problems. The Council officials will also interpret American fund-raising and community organization responsibilities to the Israeli leaders.

COUNCIL OF JEWISH FEDERATIONS TO START NATIONAL CULTURAL STUDY

Julian Freeman of Indianapolis, past president of the CJFWF, will head up, a special board committee on a long-planned national cultural study, which was authorized at the meeting. This study, which is being financed by special foundation and individual grants, will delve into all aspects of Jewish cultural activities; research, archives, training of Jewish scholars, publication resources, creative work in Jewish letters, training personnel for adult Jewish education and channels of information on Jewish affairs.

The board also heard reports on the national study on services to the chronically ill, and other ongoing communal programs. Robert Morris, CJFWF social planning consultant, reporting for Dr. Franz Goldmann, director of the Council’s three-year study of coordination of community health services for the chronically ill, told the board members that 218 agencies across the country had taken part in the study thus far. The project is being financed by the U.S. Public Health Service.

The sites of future General Assemblies–the annual national meeting of community leaders–were approved by board action. The 1958 Assembly will take place November 13-16 in Washington, D.C. In 1959, the Assembly will take place in San Francisco, Detroit in 1960, Dallas in 1961, and Philadelphia in 1962.

Other reports dealt with developments in leadership training programs, progress of the committee which will award the first Harry L. Lurie Fellowships, the Large City Budgeting Conference, community relations, professional personnel shortage in welfare agencies, multiple appeals, and community organization. The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds is the national association of 213 central Jewish community organizations representing approximately 800 communities throughout the United States and Canada.