On the heels of an announcement of united action by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the American Palestine Campaign of the Jewish Agency in connection with the minimum fund drive to raise $3,000,000 for the relief of German Jews, High Commissioner James G. McDonald, of the German Refugee body, issued an emergency call to American Jewish leaders to gather Thursday night for a conference at the Astor. The conference is sponsored by both organizations and marks the inauguration of the drive.
Paul Baerwald, chairman of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and Morris Rothenberg, president of the Zionist Organization of America, said that the meeting is of considerable importance in view of Mr. McDonald’s scheduled return to Europe on Friday.
The purpose of the conference will be to lay before attending delegates the essential facts of the problem facing relief organizations which are working in the interest of the German Jewish refugees and Jews still domiciled in Germany.
SEEKS DEFINITE EXPRESSION
Mr. Baerwald and Mr. Rothenberg said that the High Commissioner “is desirous of bringing back to Europe with him a definite expression of the will of American Jewry to its brethren.”
The Joint Distribution Committee devoted funds obtained in its campaign which is headed by Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, chairman, chiefly to the economic aid of the Jews still in Germany by providing facilities for training large numbers of “white collar” workers in the manual trades, for vocational training of Jewish youth barred from professional careers and the establishment of schools under Jewish auspices for youngsters ousted from the public schools of the Third Reich because of their race.
USES FOR THE FUNDS
The funds raised by the committee were used also {SPAN}##{/SPAN}facilitate the emigration programs of the Hilfsverein der deuts {SPAN}##{/SPAN} Juden and the Palestina {SPAN}##{/SPAN} and to augment the reduced incomes of Jewish welfare organizations in Germany. Refugee aid groups were assisted and together with the British Central Fund for the Relief of German Jews, the Jewish Agency, the Jewish Colonization Association, the committee cooperated with the High Commissioner on the refugee problem.
The American Palestine Campaign, of which Louis Lipsky is national chairman, has supplied funds for the commission for the Settlement of German Jews in Palestine. This work made it possible for more than 10.000 refugees to settle in Palestine.
GERMAN CHILDREN
The campaign has also supported the work of the Jewish Agency to facilitate immigration to Palestine of German Jews and many of them have been helped to establish homes on the land. In addition it has supported the plan of the Jewish Agency to educate and shelter 4,450 German Jewish children who were sent to Palestine. The youngsters will receive elementary and secondary school training, higher education and agricultural, trade and domestic science training.
Funds realized in the unified campaign to be launched at the conference will be devoted to the relief and reconstruction programs of both the Joint Distribution Committee and the American Palestine Campaign of the Jewish Agency.
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