Religious Zionists of America Plan Launching of $2, 000, 000 Drive

The Religious Zionists of America announced today plans for the launching of a $2, 000, 000 campaign for the support of religious institutions in Israel. The campaign will be started at the beginning of 1961.

Rabbi Bernard Bergman, president of the RZA, told a press conference here that the campaign was trade necessary by the cancelation of a $750, 000 annual allocation to the organization by the United Jewish Appeal. The fund-raising campaign will be known as the Religious Israel Appeal. The funds would be sought from local federation in cities throughout the United States. The RZA would conduct independent campaigns in communities where requests for allocations were rejected. Rabbi Bergman said.

“The United Jewish Appeal will no longer include the Religious Zionists of America among its beneficiaries in terms of monetary allotments for religious activities in Israel, ” the RZA president declared. “Our fund-raising campaign, to be known as the Religious Israel Appeal, will fill the void left by the withdrawal of monetary subventions by the United Jewish Appeal which in the past three decades has made possible the achievements of Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi for a religious life in Israel. However, the United Jewish Appeal is still the main source of revenue for Israel and should continue to receive the support of the Jewish community at large,”