Jewish Social Workers Convention Urged to Face Future in “mood of Cautious Optimism”

A thousand Jewish social workers, center workers and educators, worried by reports of declining fund raising and budget curtailments, were assured today by Dr. Nathan Reich, a noted economist at the opening session of the National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare that “we can face the future in a mood of cautions optimism.”

The National Association of Jewish Center Workers and the National Council for Jewish Education, who are holding concurrent conventions, joined with the National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare in sponsoring the opening session of the convention which will continue through Friday. George W. Rabinoff, president of the National Conference, presided.

Reporting to the executive committee of the National Conference on the growth of the Jewish social welfare structure in the United States, Mr. Rabinoff said that America’s almost five million Jews contribute almost $250,000,000 annually through over 300 federations and welfare funds for the support of overseas, national and local projects.

A rising demand for professionally-trained workers in the Jewish community center field throughout the country was reported to the executive committee of the National Association of Jewish Center Workers by its president, Sanford Solender. The Jewish Community centers already emplly close to 1,000 professional workers, he declared. The increased demand, Mr. Solender said, is attributable to “the tremendous growth” in the center movement which reported a 27 percent increase in attendance at center activities in 1949. More than 11,500,000 people participated in center programs and services last year, Mr. Solender reported, adding that in response to growing calls for expanded center programs, Jewish communities commenced construction of more than $11,000,000 worth of new or remodelled center buildings last year.

In his presidential address to the National Council for Jewish Education, Judah Pilch of New York, deplored the lack of support given Jewish education by communities through the United States, although Jewish education is more and more becoming the concern of practically all Jewish organizations. “While millions of dollars are still being spent on protecting the Jew,” said Mr. Pilch, “very little is given to our agencies working for the preservation of the Jew. The paradox of a climate of opinion favorable to Jewish education and a realty which threatens the very foundation of education is due primarily to the state of confusion which still exists with regard to the meaning of Jewish education and the type of organizations which should be vested with authority to finance and sponsor it.”