A “richer and fuller” Jewish life in the next 25 years was predicted here at the 24th General Assembly of the Western States Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds by Jacob C. Fruchthendler, president of the Region. The four-day Assembly was attended by more than 100 delegates representing 16 communities in the region.
Mr. Fruchthendler, who was re-elected president for a new term, called for greater involvement of laymen in Jewish affairs to provide adequate financing and raise standards for vital local, national and overseas services. In his address he described the gains achieved in the past 25 years, particularly in medical care, care of the aged, Jewish community centers and family service programs.
Despite the achievements, Mr. Fruchthendler asserted that there was still a need to strengthen and extend local services and programs in care of the aged, Jewish education, mental health and other areas. He called for a general tightening up of the central community organizations and intensification of recruitment of new leadership to assure continued progress.
The delegates reviewed various aspects of community planning and fund raising and emphasized that “there must be a continuous community dissatisfaction with results until much higher levels of campaigning are achieved.” They urged greater community mobilization to raise the funds needed for vital local, national and overseas Jewish needs.
The delegates also reaffirmed the resolutions adopted by the 29th General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in Detroit in November. These included proposals for; continued United States aid in the Middle East, liberalization of U.S. immigration laws, continued progress in the reorganization of American Jewish aid in Israel, strengthening of fund-raising structures, more effective cooperation of national agencies in community relations activities and participation by federations and welfare funds in public welfare matters.
In addition to re-electing Mr. Fruchthendler, the conference elected the following officers: vice-presidents; Jack W. Olds of Portland, Oregon; Irving Hill of Los Angeles; and Richard Marshall of El Paso; and treasurer Edward Bransten of San Francisco. Principal speakers included Louis Stern of Newark, CJFWF vice-president; Dr. Raymond A. Mulligan of the University of Arizona; Stanley Bass of Oakland; Louis Leiblich of San Diego; Bernard Rackow of Seattle; Aaron Greenberg of Oakland; and Isidore D. Fink of Minneapolis. Sidney Cahn, CJFWF regional director, delivered an annual report.
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.
