The American Joint Distribution Committee will establish its new Israel headquarters in Jerusalem Jan, 1, it was announced by Jack D, Weiler, JDC chairman, who was in Israel with the United Jewish Appeal Study Mission. The new headquarters will formalize a major change in the nature and extent of the organization’s health, welfare and education programs in Israel, involving a current annual expenditure of some IL 77 million which represents 40 percent of JDC’s global expenditures.
Weller noted that during its 26 years of activities in Israel, JDC spent some $200 million through JDC/Malben and over $1 billion on its world-wide activities for Jews in need since its inception 61 years ago.
The new arrangement, Weiler said, will enable major savings in administrative costs, despite the fact that JDC’s overall budget for Israel has increased over the past 25 years of welfare activities to a record of $11 million this year, Weiler said this was made possible by the gradual shift of JDC activities in Israel to indirect programs aimed at developing new projects for the country’s handicapped and disadvantaged, as well as training the skilled personnel to implement them.
These programs, now more than 60 in number, require constant contact with the people who make social policy in the country, most of whom are headquartered in Jerusalem, Weiler explained. JDC’s programs are primarily in aid of the disabled, both young and old, the chronically ill, the aged and the disadvantaged. Another reason for moving the JDC headquarters to Jerusalem was that several of its most important programs are located here.
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