Delegates to the 1962 biennial convention of the National Jewish Welfare Board devoted most of the sessions today to consideration of recommendations on reorganization of the JWB. The 700 delegates will vote on implementation of the recommendations tomorrow.
The recommendations are the result of a year-long study by 51 JWB leaders. They call for sweeping changes in the organization’s national and regional volunteer and professional structure, and in its service programs. The two principal service areas of the JWB are Jewish community centers and religious and morale programs for Jewish servicemen.
The first recommendation calls for the “evolution of JWB as a unified agency to the extent feasible,” in place of the present operation of JWB’s Jewish Community Center and Armed Forces services as distinct local, regional and national entities. A second recommendation provides that “wherever possible the same national and regional staff units of JWB shall be used to serve both the Armed Services and veterans and Jewish Community Center fields. “This proposal is designed to bring JWB services and staff resources into line with new conditions and new types of relationships.
Merging of the present separate regional Jewish Community Center units known as sections and the separate regional Armed Services units “into unified JWB regional bodies” is a third recommendation. This proposal suggests that “all regional bodies move toward appropriate unification in such manner and at such pace as are appropriate to their respective situations.” A experimental period of relationships between the regional units is recommended but consolidation is to occur “only as, if and when those involved concur in the step.” Provision is made for a review of this proposal two years from the date of adoption.
Recommendation IV provides for the assumption of “maximum local responsibility for services to the Armed Forces and hospitalized veterans, with Jewish Community Centers playing an enlarged role in this program.” The recommendation further calls for the creation of “a single local JWB unit” to provide service to the Armed Forces and hospitalized veterans in each community where such service is required.
Modification of JWB’s services to Jewish Community Centers by “expansion of highly skilled specialized services and functions and reduced emphasis on generalized counseling,” is provided for in the fifth recommendation. The recommendation envisages the development of a basic corps of JWB staff members, each equipped to function both as general and field consultant to regional groupings of Centers and as a specialist in a particular field of programing or administration.
The final recommendation calls for a complete overhaul and reorganization of the national lay structure of JWB whose complexity and elaboration “have impaired its workability, burdened staff unnecessarily, diverted professional resources from use in serving Centers and the Armed Forces Veterans and caused needless duplicating demands upon lay leadership.”
Charles Aaron, immediate past president of the Chicago Jewish Federation and a former JWB president, was today elected president of the World Federation of YM-YWHAs. JWB is a member of the world group.
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