A serious problem has arisen for the Jewish social agencies of Detroit as a result of the suspension of all agreements with member agencies and workers by the Community Fund. The present plan is to meet the emergency needs of the member organizations on a week to week basis.
Three members of the executive board of the Jewish Welfare Federation have been appointed on the Emergency Committee of the Detroit Community Fund and Council of Social agencies which is serving as the governing body for the Fund in the present banking crisis. Fred M. Butzel, Henry Wineman and Kurt Peiser have been meeting daily with the committee, of which Gustavus A. Pope is chairman.
The Emergency Committee plans to apportion the present available cash which the Community Fund has on hand in such a manner that the basic needs of clients and workers will be met. Arrangements are being worked out with such organizations as the Young Men’s Christian Association and the Young Women’s Christian Association under which social workers in the various agencies may receive meals and lodging at minimum rates.
A sub-committee, of which Fred M. Butzel is chairman, has been appointed, to work out the difficult problem of county support for child caring agencies, through the Wayne County Juvenile Court, and to unify the child care programs.
Another sub-committee, of which Kurt Peiser is chairman, has been appointed to work out with the Department of Public Welfare some arrangement for possible support from the city for basic needs of certain of the relief agencies. This is an aspect of the problem which particularly involves the Jewish Social Service Bureau.
Other Jewish agencies which will be affected by the financial crisis are the North End Clinic, the Jewish Centers, the Young Women’s Hebrew Association, and the Fresh Air Society. Committees to act on the problems of these groups have been meeting throughout the week.
Senator George Blumberg was elected Chairman of the American Palestine Campaign of Williamsburg at a meeting of leading workers in the fund-raising effort for Palestine at which Supreme Court Justice Mitchell May was the principal speaker.The election of the officers will be followed by an intensive drive for Palestine funds. It was decided by the newly elected officers that all forces would be concentrated on getting Williamsburg representation at the dinner to be tendered to Nathan Straus. Jr., at the Hotel Astor, on March 29th, for the benefit of the Palestine Fund.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
