Coincident with the mobilization of the largest army of volunteer workers ever engaged in a local philanthropic drive, aiming to raise $1,200,000 in the United Jewish Appeal for the relief of Jews in Germany, a message from Governor Herbert H. Lehman demanding the aid of American Jews for their German brethren’s “struggle to survive” was issued yesterday from campaign headquarters at the Hotel Commodore.
“With all that has been done,” Governor Lehman declared, “we have not yet met, in full measure, the cry of our German brethren to us for help. We must do much more–and the opportunity, of which I am sure the Jews of America will gladly avail themselves to do their utmost is offered to us by the United Jewish Appeal.”
The local drive for funds, representing more than one-third of the $3,000,000 national quota set by the United Jewish Appeal, consisting of the American Palestine Campaign and the Joint Distribution Committee, will be launched formally at a dinner at the Hotel Commodore on Sunday evening, May 13.
Thousands of workers will attend to receive final instructions before the fund drive to aid the victims of Nazi persecution. Details of an intensive campaign will be outlined to them.
STRAUS JR. AMONG LEADERS
Felix M. Warburg is national chairman of the Appeal and Paul Baerwald, Louis Lipsky, Morris Rothenberg and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise are co-chairmen.
I. Edwin Goldwasser, trustee of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies; Nathan Straus Jr., state director of the National Emergency Council and Ira M. Younker, president of the Jewish Social Service Association, will head the local community drive, Michael Schaap, president of Bloomingdale’s, is chairman of the Trades Committee and Carlos Israel is leader of the Junior Division. A Women’s Division of the campaign is being organized.
In his message Governor Lehman declared:
“Jewish life in Germany has been devastated. Nearly half of one of the proudest, most productive and creative Jewries of the world has been rendered destitute. Many of them have had to flee to lands where they could find asylum. Those who have remained in the land which they love have been reduced to the lowest spiritual level, living in continuous uncertainty of what new discriminations, what new outrages the morrow may bring forth. Public opinion is helpless to defend them in their extremity which they are facing with real Jewish fortitude.
“They turn for help as is their right, to us, their coreligionists who are so happily situated in America, where democracy and liberalism are regnant public forces, where honorable ambition is untrammelled.”
THE BOROUGH LEADERS
Among the chairmen of the Borough organizations of the drive are Judge Otto A. Rosalsky, Magistrate Jonah J. Goldstein, Manhattan; Judge Mitchell May, Aaron William Levy, Brooklyn; Louis Altschul, Bernard S. Deutsch, Max J. Schneider, Bronx; Rabbi Irving Miller, Israel Silberman, Queens, and Reuben Cantor, Morris Sendar, Richmond.
The funds raised in the campaign will be applied towards a program of rehabilitation and resettlement of German Jews. Funds allotted to the Joint Distribution Committee will be used in the continuation of its work for relief and reconstruction in co-operation with German Jewish welfare organizations and with the various refugee aid committees, as well as for the aid of Jews in eastern and central Europe. Funds allotted to the American Palestine Campaign will go for the carrying out of a program of settlement of German Jews in Palestine.
The Brooklyn Jewish community will launch its campaign with three dinners held in different parts of the borough. The first will be held tomorrow night at the Brooklyn Jewish Center, 667 Eastern parkway, at which Congressman Samuel Dickstein will be principal speaker. Another dinner will be held Wednesday evening at the Casa del Rey, Newkirk and Coney Island avenues, at which the speakers will be Aaron William Levy, Louis J. Moss, Rabbi Elias Margolis, Rabbi Israel Goldfarb and Rabbi Isadore A. Aaron, with Rudolph Sanders presiding. Rabbi Stephen S. Wise will be the principal speaker at a dinner scheduled for Sunday evening at the Empire Manor, 70 That ford avenue.
BRONX DRIVE SET
Judge William M. Lewis, Philadelphia Zionist, Rabbi Jonah B. Wise and Judge John E. McGeehan will be speakers at the inaugural dinner of the Bronx branch of the United Jewish Appeal next Sunday at the Chateau DeLuxe, 671 Prospect avenue, Bronx. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the affair, which will mark the official inception of the Bronx drive to fill a quota of $50,000.
Simultaneously with the organization of the New York drive. Philadelphia has made preparations for participation in the Appeal. Responding to an invitation from Judge Horace Stern, fifty Philadelphia Jewish leaders have organized a drive which will begin May 22. Officers are Julius Weyl, Mrs. Louis Gerstley Jr., William Rosenwald, Arthur Fleisher and Benjamin L. Rubinson.
While no definite quota has been fixed for the Philadelphia drive, Mr. Weyl announced that an effort would be made to raise not less than $200,000.
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