J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Oakland correspondent)

The annual campaign to raise a budget, this year totalling $35,775, for the Jewish National Welfae fund of Oakland will begin May 4 and continue until May 14, it is announced by A. S. Lavenson, chairman.

The advance gifts committee of which Joseph Meltzer is chairman, is now conducting an effort to obtain $20,000 toward the total.

The budget provides for national Jewish organizations in the United States, as well the United Jewish Campaign and the United Palestine Appeal.

Charles Kushins is campaign director. The executive committee of the fund consists of Joseph Frankel, Michael Grodin, Charles Kushins, A. S. Lavenson, B. L. Mosbacher, Harry J. Sapper, Jacob Simon, Bernard Silverstein, and Lionel Wachs.

The contest for a slogan for use in the campaign resulted in the selection of the phrase: “Judaism Will Live–If You Give.”

Although the Jews of Alameda Country contribute liberally to the general Community Chest, and local Jewish charities, they maintain the Welfare Fund. In a separate appeal, without solicitation among the non-Jewish population funds are collected for the aiding of 55 organizations carrying on relief and other work.

This fund was established in 1926. In 1927 about $23,000 was raised.

Lionel Wachs has been president of the organization since its inception. Besides the United Jewish Campaign and the United Palestine Appeal, the Fund includes the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association of Duarte, Calif., the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society of Denver, the National Jewish Hospital at Denver and the Ex-Patients’ Homes at Los Angeles and Denver; the Denver National Home for Children.

Other charitable organizations in Oakland include the Daughters of Israel Relief Committee, which began to function about fifty years ago, caring for needy Jews here and in the sections adjacent.

As the years passed its activities grew and other organizations came into being to share its work and responsibilities. They formed a group of efficient bodies that have made this community one of the best equipped in this respect in the country.

In 1915 these groups, though retaining their individual identities, were merged into a united organization known as the Oakland Jewish Federation. A Jewish community center containing an auditorium, meeting rooms, offices, kitchen, gymnasium and baths, was built. Since then this building has served as the center of Jewish relief, educational, recreational and cultural activities.

The head of the Federation is S. J. Freudenthal, who directed the erection of an addition to the center, which houses the federation offices and the educational and recreational facilities. The dedication of this addition was held recently.

The congregations in Oakland include Temple Sinai, Reform, Beth Jacob Synagogue, East Bay Jewish Alliance, Beth Abraham, Beth Israel, B’nai Isaac, and Zemach Zedek synagogues, the Berkeley Hebrew Center, Alameda Hebrew Temple and San Leandro Synagogue.

B’nai Brith has a membership of about 700 in the country and meets in Temple Sinai. There is also the Aleph Zadik Aleph, junior B’nai Brith, which held its Pacific Coast conference in Oakland. There are about 5,000 Jews in Alameda County.

Dr. Rudolph I. Coffee, rabbi of Temple Sinai, is president of the Jewish Committee for Personal Service in State Institutions, where he has served for four years.

There are more than 600 Jewish students in the University of California at Berkeley. About 300 are active in the Hillel Foundation’s affairs which are directed by Rabbi B. B. Goldstein.