J. D. C. to Discontinue Its Emergency Relief for Jews in Poland

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The support of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for philanthropic organizations in Poland is systematically being discontinued, it was declared here today.

The support granted by the Committee for the purpose of aiding the unemployed and of maintaining soup kitchens was reduced 50 per cent. The support for the Yiddish schools, Talmud Torahs and supplying books to school children will be discontinued entirely beginning April 1, it was stated here today.

At the headquarters of the Joint Distribution Committee, J. C. Hyman, secretary, made the following comment:

“To the extent that the temporarily established emergency help of the Joint Distribution Committee can be reduced in view of any possible improvement and the Joint Distribution Committee can resume the former threads of its constructive help in Poland and elsewhere, the emphasis, naturally, of the activities of the Joint Distribution Committee will gradually be placed on constructive work rather than palliative work. Thus stress will be laid on credit kassa work, child care and medical work, finding productive means of employment, etc. This is what the cablegram probably refers to.”

The opening of the Jewish Students’ Home, erected here with the assistance of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, took place yesterday.

Representatives of the government, municipal authorities, the rabbinate and the Jewish community were present. Religious services were held at which Cantor Sirota officiated and Dr. Schor delivered the sermon. Addresses were delivered by Senator Koerner. Professor Hryniewicki, dean of the University of Warsaw, on behalf of the Polish colleges, Deputy H. Farbstein on behalf of the Kehillah, City Mayor Jablonski, and the student Feigenberg on behalf of the Jewish students. Feigenberg referred to the persecutions suffered by the Jewish students in Roumania. He made special mention of the fate of the Jewish student, David Falik, who was killed in Czernowitz by an anti-Semite.

A cable message from Bernard A. Kahn, on behalf of the Joint Distribution Committee, was read.

The Home is an impressive building consisting of a dormitory of three hundred rooms, a dining room, a gymnasium and an auditorium which bears the name of Albert Einstein.

Sol. R. Guggenheim contributed $5,000 more to the New York Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies, bringing his total 1926 contribution to $20,000, according to an announcement by Frederick Brown, General Chairman of the federation’s campaign for $4,720,000. In addition to this sum Mr. Guggenheim contributed $5,000 to the Brightside Day Nursery, one of the ninety-one constituent organizations of the federation.

At a testimonial beefsteak dinner Tuesday night to Walter Blumenthal, division head of the butchers’ trade, on his fiftieth birthday, at Healy’s, subscriptions totaling $28,750 were announced from the wholesale and retail butchers and the dressed and live poultry dealers. Benjamin Lowenstein presided.

More than 100 persons representing the theatrical and allied fields held a luncheon meeting at the Hotel Astor under the chairmanship of Adolph Zukor and pledged themselves to raise $100,000 before the present campaign ends. Sidney S. Cohen was named Chairman of a committee on permanent organization to build up a group for subsequent campaigns.