Representatives of the 300 Hebrew day schools throughout the United States and Canada today decided to establish a National Torah Fund Campaign with a yearly goal of $10,000,000 to cover the annual deficits of the schools and to provide capital financing for construction needs in line with the expected growth during the coming decade.
In a resolution adopted at a National Planning Conference sponsored by Torah Umesorah, the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, at the Pine View Hotel here, the more than 400 delegates approved plans for the fund which “will serve as the fund-raising arm for Hebrew day schools on the local, national and international levels.”
Reuben E. Gross, chairman of the conference, said that the fund was necessary to cover annual deficits of the schools estimated at $4,000,000 and to provide funds for construction costs and establishment of new schools estimated at $6,000,000 per year. Citing the annual growth rate of the Hebrew day schools over the past 20 years from 5,000 to more than 50,000 pupils. Mr. Gross predicted that the total would reach 500,000 by the end of the next two decades.
The delegates also decided to establish a permanent National Leadership Council for the Hebrew day school movement to implement a comprehensive program aimed at dealing with problems arising from the rapid growth of the movement. Amos Bunim of Far Rockaway, N.Y., was named chairman of the Council and Reuben Gross of Staten Island was named associate chairman.
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