Jewish Participation in Community Welfare Activities Lauded by U.S. Official

The participation of the Jewish welfare funds and federations throughout the country in the nation-wide effort to mobilize the resources of the American people to extend “not just our material help but also the fresh breath of freedom and justice to those countries that have gone without it so long,” was lauded here last night by Charles P. Taft, assistant director of the Government’s Defense, Health and Welfare Services, addressing the 10th annual General Assembly of the Council which is being attended by more than 400 delegates from 195 cities.

There is a unique place for the Jewish Community in America’s welfare operations, Dr. Taft said. He praised President Roosevelt’s appointment of Governor Lehman as Director of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation and told the delegates that even with the Government’s post-war relief plans, “private welfare agencies will still have a major task to perform.”

“Japanese and Nazi brutality,” he said, “violates something that is deep within all of us who have grown up with our ideals of civilization and common decency. When you try to define the difference between the Axis and ourselves, you get back to certain fundamentals which were, so far as we can tell, invented by the Hebrew people. Certainly the Jews laid the foundation for our belief in justice, mercy and in the ideal of the religious statesman.”

Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, addressing the conference, said that the United Jewish Appeal was eager to enter a united front with all agencies working for the relief of human distress. “We have always believed in unity of approach and action in this field of humanitarian effort,” he stated, adding that the attitude of the United Jewish Appeal on the question of joining war chests is that the Jewish welfare funds, if assured that all beneficiary agencies will be protected, should merge forces with local war chests for the common good. The local community must make the final decision, however, he stressed.