Jewish Agency Executive Discusses Its Budget for Fiscal Year 1982-83

The Jewish Agency Executive held two days of meetings here this week to discuss its budget for fiscal year 1982-83. Leon Dulzin, chairman of the Executive, said the Agency’s budget as proposed by the Executive will be in two parts: a general budget totalling $440 million, and a special budget of approximately $80 million for Project Renewal. It will be presented and approved by the Agency’s Board of Governors which will meet in Jerusalem next February, Dulzin said.

He told the meetings of the Executive that while the United Jewish Appeal campaign revealed an increase in this year’s pledges of more than 10 percent, “we expressed our grave concern at the disturbing fact that there has been a continuing, distressing drop in the percentage of funds raised allocated to Israel by local communities. This percentage has been steadily reduced over the past five years to the detriment of Israel and our vital programs.”

Dulzin said a special committee was appointed to deal with this problem, consisting of Martin Citrin, president of the Council of Jewish Federations, Morton Mandel, immediate past president of the CJF, Herschel Blumberg, general chairman of the UJA, Irving Field, president of the UJA, and Max Fisher, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency.

“We trust this committee’s efforts will meet with success,” Dulzin said. “The erosion of the Jewish Agency’s income has been a serious obstacle in achieving our goals. I hope that the Jewish communities of America will make every effort to provide the Jewish Agency with the vital means necessary to maintain its essential activities as in previous years.”

AIDING ETHIOPIAN JEWS

Dulzin also said that the Executive received a confidential report on the many measures being taken to rescue Ethiopian Jews (Falashas). This report thoroughly satisfied the Executive that everything possible was being done to save them. Concerning the Falashas who were saved and brought to Israel, Dulzin said a report was also presented concerning their absorption and resettlement. “I am happy to say that we are establishing a special agricultural settlement for the Falashas to enable them to be economically secure and productive citizens of Israel, rebuilding their culture and families in the free atmosphere of the Jewish homeland.”

Kalman Sultanik, head of the World Zionist Organization’s organization department, at a meeting of the WZO Executive which followed the Jewish Agency meeting, announced that the World Zionist Congress will begin in Jerusalem Dec. 7, 1982. He also announced that next month, on Dec. 13, there will be a unification conference in Argentina for all that country’s Zionist organizations. On March 14, 1982, there will be a unification conference in England of that country’s Zionist Federations and Mizrachi.