Jewish Federation Appropriates $1.2m to Aid Inner City Jewish Poor 5 Local Centers to Be Established

The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York has climaxed a year-long study by authorization of an allocation of $1.2 million from its Emergency Fund to expand its existing programs for the Jewish poor and innovate others on an experimental basis.

Mounting statistics on the plight of New York’s inner city Jews have recently created wide-spread major public concern throughout the metropolitan area reinforcing the urgent need for the action taken by Federation.

Lawrence B. Buttenwieser, Federation president, announced today that the appropriation provides for the establishment of five Neighborhood Service Centers; expansion of direct services to individuals and families through Federation agencies or through development of new resources where necessary; participation in the funding of a city-wide planning and coordination effort by Jewish organizations concerned with the Jewish poor; and appointment of a Special Committee on Jews in the Inner City and a Staff Coordinator to help organize the Neighborhood Service Centers and work closely with participating agencies.

URGENCY OF JEWISH POOR CITED

In explaining the purpose of the allocation, Buttenwieser stated, “The Jewish community cannot ignore the urgency of the needs of the Jewish poor.” He noted programs sponsored by government “have not taken into account special needs of the Jewish poor in any significant way…and therefore additional Jewish communal resources must be directed to this group.” Acknowledging that the present Board appropriation is extraordinary, he stressed, “The nature of the problem calls for extraordinary action.”

The Emergency Fund allocation will extend over a four-year period. It will be supplemented by additional funds from the regular maintenance budget of Federation to provide a total of $600,000 annually for programs and services for the inner city Jewish poor. It is expected that a total of $2.7 million will be expended by the fiscal year 1976-77 when the ongoing cost of the program will be absorbed into the regular Federation budget for services.

JEWISH POOR TO PARTICIPATE

The Neighborhood Service Centers will be established in five strategic areas to supplement the work of local offices of Federation agencies. Two of these will be organized in the first year of the program. The remaining Centers will be set up thereafter and will draw upon the experiences of the first two. If additional funds become available, other Centers will be established.

Each Center will have a Committee representing local Jewish institutions concerned with the poor, persons from Federation’s health and welfare institutions and leadership drawn from the local community. This Committee will make program and budget recommendations, with the Federation agency in that area assuming administrative and fiscal responsibility.

A new approach to city-wide coordination of Jewish organizational activity on behalf of the Jewish poor will be undertaken, involving not only representatives of interested Jewish organizations but also of the Jewish poor themselves. Major financing of the inter-organizational planning and action program will be provided by Federation, but contributions will be expected from each of the participating major organizations.