The movement to Israel of Jews from Eastern Europe and the Moslem world may attain “exodus proportions” this spring as seasonal thaws in those parts of the world make the travel of refugees to the new state easier following the long winter lull, Edward M.M. Warburg, general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, warned today as he left New York on a seven-day coast-to-coast trip to launch U.J.A. campaign activity in seven of the country’s largest cities.
Mr. Warburg, who, beginning tonight, started visits to New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Oakland, declared that “this potential floodtide of immigration may engulf Israel and materially worsen her already serious economic plight unless American Jews stand ready to ease the new state’s burden.”
The U.J.A. general chairman stressed in this connection that “immigration to Israel in the last four years exceeded all expectations with the arrival there of 700,000 homeless Jews since May, 1948,” and this year shows signs of being no exception. He urged American Jews “not to wait until a new emergency arises and flowers into a crisis” but to give the United Jewish Appeal a minimum of $50,000,000 in cash by no later than June 30th.
Mr. Warburg warned that “failure by American Jews to assist Israel in receiving and absorbing its continued influx of homeless refugees can result in a setback to her struggle for economic independence.” He stressed that the $50,000,000 minimum cash fund must become available to the United Jewish Appeal between now and the end of June to assure uninterrupted financing of the reception and initial settlement of the new state’s mass stream of immigrants.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
