J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Elmira Correspondent)

Campaign activities occupy the Jewish communities of up-State New York.

Elmira will launch its drive for $10,000 on Sunday. Bernard B. Given, chairman of the United Jewish Campaign in New York State announced that reports from campaign representatives indicate that the cities will go over the top and that an effort will be made to obtain funds as soon as possible in order to fill the State quota. The Elmira campaign which will be a united effort for the United Palestine Appeal and the United Jewish Campaign will also include several small cities in northern Pennsylvania and will be headed by George H. Danzig. The campaign will be inaugurated at a mass meeting which will he held in the Elmira Hebrew Social Cente, June 17. Charles A. Cowen of New York City, representing the United Palestine Appeal and Isador Sobel of Erie, Pa., representing the United Jewish Campaign will be the principal speakers.

“Morally, Elmira this year is in a strategic position,” State Chairman Given said in a recent statement. “That community has always done its duty toward the afflicted Jews of Eastern Europe. Now it launches a campaign in the midst of one of the most severe crises that the task of relief has faced in a long time.” Although the official date of the opening of the campaign has not arrived more than $625 in volunteer contributions have been received.

Since May 15 when Chairman Given sent out an appeal from his Syracuse office for immediate aid, 21 cities and towns have responded with varying amounts totaling $30,000. The larger cities like Utica, Schenectady, Rochester Buffalo and Syracuse, have pledged to send large amounts of money in 10 days. The cities whose initial payments have been recived in addition to Elmira are as follows: Niagara Falls, $725; Jamestown, $200; Auburn, $1,300; Rochester, $17,000; Watertown, $151; Poughkeepsie, $433; Catskill, $100; Peekskill, $200; Yonkers, $1,000; New Rochelle, $1,000; Dunkirk, $262; Port Chester, $100; Amsterdam, $300; Ithaca, $450; Albany, $2,000; Utica, $1.750; Syracuse, $1,500; Glens Falls, $450; Haverstraw, $500; Herkimer, $160.

In regard to the United Palestine Appeal in a statement issued to the Elmira committee, Judge William Lewis of Phiadelphia, national chairman of the United Palestine Appeal declared:

“It is imperative that every one who contributed to the United Palestine Appeal, the American fund-raising agency for the rebuilding of Palestien should help in raising the million dollars that is being asked of American Jewry during the month of June. Palestine is on the threshold of a new era of progress. The unemployment dole which was distributed for two years is about to be discountinued. Industries are revolving their activities, many of them employing double shifts. The Ruttenberg electrification scheme is steadily giving greater employment to Jewish workers. It has already been announced that the work on the harbor of Haifa will soon be begun, making that port one of the most important on the Mediterraean and giving employment to many Jewish laborers. Several oil companies are running oilpipe lines from the mosul fields to Haifa. This will necessitate refineries, employing thousands of men. In addition the exploitation of the Dead Sea mineral salts will soon be begun.”