J. D. B. News Letter

(By our Newark Correspondent)

Local communal leaders are concerned with the raising of the 1929 budget for the Conference of Jewish Charities, In a New Year Message to the local Jewish community, A. Dimond, president of the Conference, stated that unless there is a 40 per cent increase in donations, the participating agencies in the Conference will be faced with a deficit for the ensuing year. The Conference is a constituent of the Community Chest which conducts an annual drive.

After stating that “the participating organizations of the Conference have made wonderful progress during the last year.” Mr. Dimond declared: “The strides of our Jewish institutions make necessary a paraliel growth of community responsibility. The new Beth Israel Hospital, which has three times the capacity of the old hospital, requires a budget which is increased by approximately $100,000 in order to operate as a Class A institution. Additional budgets have been assumed by the West Side Ladies Relief Society amounting to $8,132 and the Jewish Guidance Bureau of $9,375. On account of these greater demands, together with the minor changes in the badgets of the remaining organizations, we need $417,616,88 for the year 1929 as against $288,017,19 for 1928, making a total increase of $130,000.

“It does not call for further thought to awaken us to the situation. We are now confronted with a very serious problem. It we are to receive our budgetary requirements, it will mean that the next campaign will have to show results in excess of 40 per cent over the previous year. Otherwise it will mean an operating deficit for all our participating organizations and in view of the fact that we still have a deficit unpaid, It would be poor policy to increase our present deficit.

“More money can and should be raised. When we consider that for the year of 1928 we only had 2,265 subscribers, we are led to conclude that these subscriptions should be increased. In addition, thereto, we have approximately 13,000 names who have not subscribed towards the fund”

Mr. Dimond’s statements anent the progress being made by the participating agencies is borne out by facts as is evidenced by the new $4,000,000 Beth Israel Hospital, reputedly one of the foremost institutions of its kind in the East; the Newark Maternity Hospital which has instituted additional facilities and the Theresa Grotta Aid for Convalescents which this week broke ground for a new building in Caldwell. It is reported that its drive for the building fund will be on until November 1.

While mentioning drives, it may be noted here that there is considerable talk of a drive for a much-needed larger and more modern structure for the Home for the Aged. At the last meeting of the governing board it was reported that the Home now has 101 inmates and four applications which have been filed, and that hereafter only those elders without home or children would be admitted.

E. J. Londow, fielld secretary for New Jersey for the Jewish Welfare Board, who has his offices in Newark, announced this week that the seventeenth annual meeting of the New Jersey Federation of Y. M. H. A.’s and Y. W. H. A.’s will be held in Atlantic City, October 12, 13 and 14. Felix Fuld, Newark philanthropist, is president of the Federation.

Incidentally, reports filed with Mr. Londow for presentation at the convention, indicate that the respective boys’ and girls’ summer camps maintained by the Federation, enjoyed their most successful season this year. According to reports more than 1,000 boys and girls took part in the program of activities.

Mrs. Felix Fuld recently added two benefactions to the welfare of the city. She announced that as was the case last spring so next spring she will make possible Philharmonic orchestra concerts for school children, with Ernest Schelling as conductor. The second benefaction is a grove of flowering Japanese cherry trees said to rival any similar group in the country, which she has presented to the Essex County Park Commission.

The collection comprises 28 varicties and more than 2,000 trees, rendering it numerically larger than the famous grove in Washington, D.C. which inspired Mrs. Fuld to make the gift.

As indicated from published reports, the various religious schools of the city are making progress in their registrations for the new semester which commences immediately after the High Holidays. One school, the Weequahic Section Talmud Torah, under the leadership of its president, Louis Weiss, is planning for the formation of a Parent-Teacher Association.

Anent educational activities, it is interesting to note that the New Jersey Normal School for Jewish Teachers commences with its third year of instruction, next month. A new addition to the curriculum for the next year includes a social service course to train professional and volunteer workers in community weliare.

Agudath Israel Synagogue, Orthodox, is contemplating erecting a new house of worship to include a social center.

A memorial meeting was held here for the late Sol. C. Kraus former grand master of the I. O. B. S. with Judge William M. Lewis as principal speaker and a memorial meeting is being planned here for the late Joseph Barondess, Aaron Levinstone, well known Zionist, heading the arrangement committee.

Mordecai L. Lipis, local attorney and chairman of the state finance committee of the United Palestine Appeal, voluntarily assumed charge of the latter state office while Meyer S. Mintz, regional director, tours Palestine. The Order Sons of Zion, through its district deputies, Samuel L. Diener and Louis Weiss, has inaugurated a membership drive throughout the city and state. Harry A. Pine, Newark lawyer, son of the late Max Pine, and who recently was chosen Maskir of the Order Sons of Zion will be tendered a testimonial dinner here on October 24.