Congress House, creation of the women’s division of the American Jewish Congress as an original venture in behalf of German Jewish and non-Jewish refugees opened its doors to give New York City’s newspaper men and women a chance to appraise it prior to its official opening on November 12.
The members of the press gave every evidence of being properly impressed by the club’s decorative and practical beauty.
Located at 50 West Sixty-eighth street, the club, which will offer a haven free of any charge to victims of Nazi oppression, is rapidly nearing completion. It represents the composite achievement of Mrs. Stephen S. Wise, who conceived the idea; her colleagues in the American Jewish Congress and many business firms and individuals who contributed monetary gifts and furnishings.
The house is a five-story structure, formerly a private residence, just off Central Park West. It is intended primarily to serve three purposes: (1) offer temporary residence to German refugees, pending arrangements for more permanent settlement; (2) serve as a social and recreational center, and (3) act as an information center in cooperation with other agencies seeking to care for German refugees.
Supervision of the club has been placed in the hands of two refugees whose names are being held in confidence. They will act under direction of a committee of volunteers associated with the American Jewish Congress.
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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.