The festival of Purim, which starts tonight, will mark the opening of the special four-month drive by the United Jewish Appeal to raise $50,000,000 in cash by June 30th towards its nationwide goal of $151,500,000, it was announced here today. The announcement was made by William Rosenwald. Rudolf G. Sonneborn and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, national chairman of the U.J.A.
The three national chairmen called attention especially to the plight of the present-day descendants of the Jews of Queen Esther’s Persia, noting that these Jews are mainly in Iran where current unrest and political tension have moved authorities to grant them high priority for early movement to Israel. They pointed out in this connection that in 1951 the United Jewish Appeal financed an emergency airlift of the Jews of neighboring Iraq, transferring more than 110,000 to Israel to forestall further oppression of this ancient community. The same airlift also brought out several thousand Jews from Iran.
Mr. Rosenwald, Mr. Sonneborn and Rabbi Wise termed the extension of aid to the Jews of Iran “one of the principal aims of this year’s nationwide United Jewish Appeal campaign.” They stressed that large-scale funds must become available to the U.J.A. at the earliest time to speed implementation of recently instituted health, feeding, school and vocational programs to fit these Jews for a new life in Israel.
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