Jewish Communities Urged to Consider Inclusion of Welfare Funds in Local War Chests

A resolution urging Jewish communities “to give full and favorable consideration to the possibility of inclusion of their welfare funds and federations in their local war chests for the duration of the war” was adopted here yesterday at the regional conference of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in which delegates from the New York and Ontario region participated.

The resolution was carried after a review by Sidney Hollander, national president of the Council, of the war chest movement and its implications to the Council’s 224 Jewish federations and welfare fund member agencies throughout the country. Mr. Hollander reiterated the position of the Council’s Board of Directors that welfare fund affiliation with local war chests was a local issue that should be determined locally. He urged the assembled Jewish welfare leaders from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Niagara Falls, Utica, Schenectady, Hamilton and Toronto to give the question of joining their respective war chests every consideration.

Mr. Hollander also reported on the efforts of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds to attain co-ordination in the civic protective field by bringing the four major defense agencies together for a series of conferences looking towards the creation of a single, central organization to direct and operate civic protective activities in this country.

“The duplication of activities in the civic protective field is unnecessary and too costly,” Mr. Hollander said in calling for a unified defense program. The conference adopted a resolution which read: “We, as representatives of Jewish communities in Western New York and Canada, strongly urge that the plan of the CJFWF for a single, central operating organization in the civic protective field be vigorously and promptly pursued to a successful conclusion.”

U.S. GOVERNMENT UTILIZES MATERIAL COLLECTED BY JEWISH AGENCIES

Isaiah Minkoff, executive secretary of the General Jewish Council, reporting on the activities of the defense agencies, disclosed that Government agencies have utilized material collected by the defense groups to track down subversive elements engaged in un-American activities. He emphasized the need of a defense program to counteract Nazi propaganda.

Milton Weill, chairman of the Army and Navy Public Relations Committee of the Jewish Welfare Board, described the work of the War Records Bureau of the JWB and the role it is playing in informing the country of the participation of Jews in American’s war effort. He declared that the JWB is resisting successfully rumors spread by Axis agents to the effect that Jews are not doing their part in the war.

At the session devoted to the overseas agencies, Nathan Weisman of the Joint Distribution Committee reported that the JDC program of feeding, clothing, sheltering and financing the transportation of refugees to countries offering asylum is continuing. Baruch Braunstein of the United Palestine Appeal stressed Palestine’s part in the United Nations war effort. Jack Berger of the National Refugee Service stated that NRS, in addition to its regular activities, is cooperating in the program to bring 5,000 refugee children from Europe to the North American continent.

Edward H. Kavinoky of Buffalo was elected president of the New York-Ontario Region; Alexander Holstein of Syracuse, vice-president; Jack H. Rubens of Rochester, treasurer; and Benjamin B. Goldman of Buffalo, secretary.