Jewish Welfare Funds in U.S. and Canada Raised More Than $1,000,000,000 During Decade

More than $1,000,000,000 was raised by the organized Jewish welfare funds of the United States and Canada during the past ten years to meet urgent Jewish needs in Israel, Europe and at home, it was reported today by Julian Freeman, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Citing as analysis of ten years of central Jewish fund raising prepared by the Council, Mr. Freeman pointed out that approximately $225,000,000 was contributed during the period of 1941-45, and $800,000,000 from 1946-50. At the same time, Mr. Freeman disclosed that communities throughout the nation report 1951 campaign results still running ahead of last year’s pace, when a total of $140,000,000 was raised for all types of valid Jewish causes. Spring campaigns are now 70 to 90 percent complete, he added.

The two principal reasons for the more than 250 percent — or almost three-fold increase — in contributions during the 1946-50 period, Mr. Freeman explained, were: 1. American Jewry, primarily through Welfare Funds, assumed major responsibility for the rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of European Jews who managed to survive World War II, and for their resettlement, especially in Israel; 2. The growing concern of American Jewry with pressing health and welfare needs at home — with both intensified by the shrinking value of the dollar.

During the latter half of the past decade, the Welfare Funds allocated about $490,000,000 – 61 percent of the $800,000,000 they raised in those years – to the United Jewish Appeal to carry out its global program of rescue, rehabilitation, care and immigration, Mr. Freeman stated. For the full ten-year period, the U.J.A. received approximately $590,000,000 of the $1,000,000,000 raised.

In addition, other overseas causes during the past decade were granted $24,000,000 by Jewish Welfare Funds, including $8,000,000 for agencies operating in all parts of the world, excluding Israel; and $16,000,000 for organizations whose programs were devoted exclusively to Israel. On the national scene, the Jewish communities allocated $44,000,000 over the ten-year period for such activities as community relations, health and welfare, Jewish education, Jewish religion and culture, community center programs, aid to servicemen and women in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Similarly, the Welfare Funds utilized a substantial part of their income to meet urgent needs in their own local communities. During the past decade they provided local agencies with $216,000,000 to deal with health problems, family service, care of the aged, child welfare, Jewish education, community relations, vocational and other services, and for facilities for these programs. This figure includes $18,000,000 spent locally, excluding New York City, for the adjustment of European survivors who came to the U.S. and Canada.