A record budget of $28,912,000 was voted today by 1000 delegates attending the 51st annual national conference of the American ORT Federation. The budget is the largest in the organization’s history, and reflects an increase of $5,000,000 over 1972 expenditures. It will finance stepped-up programs of educational and vocational training for some 70,000 adults and young people in 21 countries, including Israel.
In proposing what he called a “budget of need,” Dr. William Haber, who was re-elected president of the organization, stated that $3.5 million of the increase was slated for urgently-required job training courses and school expansion in Israel, particularly for newcomers from the Soviet Union and for youth from impoverished families. Another major rise, more than $1,000,000, was marked for France, reflecting the growing problems of integrating 300,000 North African refugees into the French Jewish community. Smaller increases are also budgeted for Italy, Iran, economic modernization programs for the Bnei Israel community in Bombay and for various Jewish communities in South America.
The sum to be spent for ORT programs in Israel in 1973 is $16,496,800, as compared with $12,900,800 in 1972. ORT’s largest program outside of Israel is in France, where total 1973 expenditures will be $6,799,500. Funds for ORT’s 1973 budget will be provided by its membership and from United Jewish Appeal income, under an agreement between ORT and the Joint Distribution Committee.
OVERSEAS NEEDS, PARTICULARLY ISRAEL
Noting that the conference was celebrating a double anniversary–Israel’s 25th anniversary and 25 years of ORT’s work in that country–Dr. Haber said that “the funds in this budget are urgently required to meet the increased needs of Jewish communities overseas, particularly in Israel. The long-awaited influx of Russian Jews, no matter how welcome, has placed great additional responsibilities upon ORT Israel, as it has upon the government and the people of the country.” A refugee does not stop being a refugee the moment his foot touches the soil of Israel, he declared. “That status ends only when he is at last able to support himself and stand on his own feet. Freedom without economic independence is a mockery.”
In addition to its vocational and educational activities designed to meet the needs of overseas Jewish communities, ORT will continue to provide technical assistance, in cooperation with the Agency for International Development (AID), and other governmental and intergovernmental agencies, to African countries south of the Sahara, including Mali, Kenya, Guinea,.Niger, Ivory Coast and Zaire.
As an example, Dr. Haber cited the training program to develop technicians and skilled workers for road construction repairs and maintenance in the Republic of Zaire, where there are presently 35 ORT teachters and technicians employed in five training centers in provincial capitals, with the head office in Kinshasa. Cost of this program, which is financed through a U.S. loan to the Republic of Zaire, is estimated at just under six million dollars.
NIXON LAUDS ORT’S ACTIVITIES
Citing the American ORT Federation’s “productive association with the Agency for International Development” a message to the annual conference from President Nixon expressed his “continuing admiration” for ORT’s “useful and compassionate work,” The President’s message to the ORT delegates continued, in part: “I warmly applaud your sustained humanitarian accomplishments and recognize in the spirit that motivates them an example for all to imitate.”
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