More than 179,000 men, women and children throughout the world were aided by the Joint Distribution Committee during 1956, it was revealed in the JDC annual report published here today. This included thousands of refugees from Hungary and from Egypt. The report predicts that “in 1957 some 125,000 Jewish refugees will be moving to countries of temporary asylum and to new homes.”
Moses A. Leavitt, JDC executive vice chairman, in a section of the annual report entitled “Not Peace and Not War,” declares that in 1956 JDC appropriated $30,366,849 for its operations. Of the 179,000 who were aided by JDC, he notes, more than 103,000 were in Moslem countries. For 1957 JDC has adopted a budget of $26,550,000 to aid more than 210,000 needy Jews overseas. The financial mainstay of JDC ‘s overseas resettlement and reconstruction programs, the report notes, continues to be funds provided through the nationwide campaigns of the United Jewish Appeal.
Turning to current operations, Mr. Leavitt indicates that the JDC is currently maintaining major operations in Israel; in Algeria and Morocco, as well as other parts of North Africa; and in France, Austria and other countries of Western Europe. Among the year’s major developments the JDC executive vice chairman cites:
1. Continued aid for thousands of men and women, particularly the aged, by Malben, the JDC welfare program on behalf of aged, ill and handicapped newcomers to Israel.
2. Continued support for the revival of Jewish communities in Europe, largely with funds provided by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
3. The establishment of two new JDC loan institutions–one in Duesseldorf, Germany, and the other in Sao Paulo, Brazil. During the year 31 JDC-sponsored loan institutions in 16 countries granted 5,600 loans amounting to more than $2,150,000.
4. The distribution by JDC of 4,779,675 pounds of U.S. Department of Agriculture surplus food worth $915,000.
5. The emigration to Israel of 54,384 men, women and children, including 45,853 from Moslem countries.
6. Increased aid to children and young people through the opening of kindergartens, schools, mother-and-child health centers and other institutions.
7. The continuance of specialized assistance in various fields, including Passover relief–332,898 pounds of matzoth, matzoth meal and other Passover food–to Jews in eleven countries.
8. Continued cooperation and assistance to other Jewish organizations, including a grant of $1,450,000 to ORT and nearly $1,000,000 for the migration work of the United Hias Service.
Noting that “Israel alone accounted for some $13,000,000, or more than 43 percent” of JDC’s expenditure in 1956, Mr. Leavitt reports that “during the year some 35,000 men, women and children received JDC aid in Israel in one form or another, most of them in one of the more than 100 Malben old-age homes, hospitals, sanitaria, clinics, sheltered workshops and other installations, or through Malben rehabilitation loans. A major achievement was the conversion of the N’vei Avoth reception center for newcomers into a modern village for the aged.
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