JDC Contributes $30,000 to Rumanian Flood Relief, Responds to Rabbi Rosen’s Appeal

In response to an urgent appeal from Dr. Moses Rosen, Chief Rabbi of Rumania, the Joint Distribution Committee has contributed $30,000 for flood relief in Rumania. This was disclosed today at a press conference in the New York offices of the JDC by Chief Rabbi Rosen. At the conclusion of the conference, Chief Rabbi Rosen and Louis Broido, JDC Chairman left for Washington to present the check to the Rumanian Embassy. Rumania has suffered the worst floods in its history, Chief Rabbi Rosen stated. Close to 300,000 people were made homeless. Over 200 deaths have been reported. Many Jewish communities throughout Rumania have been devastated, he added, and hundreds of Jewish families have been made homeless. Chief Rabbi Rosen has issued an appeal to Jewish communities all over the world for assistance. He reported that a special fund was set up in Bucharest to assist the flood victims. Chief Rabbi Rosen reported on the joint assistance program by the JDC and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Rumania which aids over 15,000 needy Jews in Rumania. There are about 100,000 Jews in Rumania today, Chief Rabbi Rosen said. There are about 150 synagogues throughout the country; 20 of them in Bucharest, he added. Chief Rabbi Rosen stated there was a resurgence of Jewish education in Rumania with 2,000 students attending courses in Hebrew in Bucharest and other cities. These courses are organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities, and Chief Rabbi Rosen is the lecturer at a number of the classes. Other prominent Rumanian Jews lecture on scientific and cultural topics. Yesterday, Chief Rabbi Rosen had an audience with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and with Mayor Lindsay. Mayor Lindsay also presented Chief Rabbi Rosen with the “key to the city.”