of Central Israel Fund is Urged at Three C.J.F.W.F. Regional Conferences

More than 500 delegates to three regional conferences of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds–West Central, South-eastern and Southwestern–have passed resolutions urging the creation of a central Israel fund to “insure maximum benefit” from philanthropic contributions through local (##)fare funds. In addition, the West Central and Southwestern meetings considered (##)er possible forms of aid to Israel and declared that funds secured through loans (##) private investments should be “in addition to and not a substitute for” maximum dollars contributed through welfare funds.

Delegates from 88 Jewish communities participated in the three C.J.F.W.F. conferences which were held last week-end. The Southeastern Region met at New Orleans; the Southwestern Region at Oklahoma City; and the West Central Region at Kansas City. Discussions at the conferences considered major problems facing American Jewish communities in planning to meet their total 1951 responsibilities–overseas, national and local.

1951 DRIVES MUST CONTINUE TO MEET ISRAEL RESPONSIBILITIES, MYERS SAYS

Stanley C. Myers, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare {SPAN}(##){/SPAN}nds, who was the principal speaker at the Southeastern Regional meeting, stressed {SPAN}(##){/SPAN}at welfare fund campaigns in 1951 must continue to meet their large-scale philan{SPAN}(##){/SPAN}hropic responsibilities in Israel which include housing, immigration and adjustment. {SPAN}(##){/SPAN}inting out that philanthropy to date has been by far Israel’s greatest source of aid and has been responsible primarily for preventing a collapse of its economy, Mr. Myers stated:

“American Jewry’s philanthropic efforts during the past few years have not only been translated into relief and rehabilitation programs, but have provided the foreign exchange by which Israel has been enabled to import the products which it urgently requires, and has provided the ultimate assurance of repayment of loans and foreign credits.”

For these reasons, the C.J.F.W.F. president continued, the Israel leaders considered U.J.A. dollars their preferred priority. They are free dollars and immediate dollars, he said, adding that welfare fund campaigns for the U.J.A., which have been the sources from which Israel has received hundreds of millions of dollers, should be strengthened in 1951. Referring to the proposed bond drive for Israel, he urged that funds for this purpose “must be over and above maximum funds contributed to welfare funds; and they must not be a diversion from or in any way a substituted for philanthropic funds.”

In another address, H.L. Lurie, C.J.F.W.F. executive director, pointed out that communal programs are no longer in the spirit of traditional benevolence but group cooperation to achieve community-wide services which will benefit all local residents. Jewish central organizations, Mr. Lurie revealed, are becoming increasingly representative of all legitimate groups and viewpoints. However, to assure maximum cooperative action, these community agencies must attain the widest possible participation, including women and youth groups.

Harold Glasser, director of the C.J.F.W.F. Institute on Overseas Studies, and William R. Sinkin, San Antonio, were the principal speakers at the Southwestern meeting. Mr. Glasser declared that only through large-scale expansion of industry and agriculture could the new state solve its difficulties. The foreign position is the key to the whole economic problem, he stated, adding that Israel is hard at work to secure a favorable export-import balance.

New presidents of the three C.J.F.W.F. regions for 1951 include James L. Permutt, Birmingham, Southeastern; Harry C. Jacobs, Kamsas City, West Central; and Henry S. Jacobus, Dallas, Southwestern.