Rosenwald, Rabbi Silver, Rabbi J.b. Wise Elected National Chairmen of U.J.A. for 1942

William Rosenwald, President of the National Refugee Service, Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, National Chairman of the United Palestine Appeal and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, Fund-Raising Chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, have been elected to serve as 1942 National Chairmen of the United Jewish Appeal, the unified fund-raising drive for these three major American rescue agencies, it was announced here today.

Upon assuming the tasks of National Chairmen of the 1942 United Jewish Appeal, Rabbi Silver, Rabbi Wise and Mr. Rosenwald issued a joint statement in which they summoned Jewish communities throughout the country to give wider support to the United Jewish Appeal not only as a means of meeting the increased needs of large numbers of Jews confronted with the problems of war and oppression, but also of aiding the worldwide front for democracy.

The National Chairmen outlined as follows the 1942 needs and programs of the Joint Distribution Committee, United Palestine Appeal and National Refugee Service:

RELIEF PROGRAM OF THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE FOR 1942

The J.D.C. which in 1941 spent $5,694,100 bringing direct aid to 930,000 Jews in fifty countries on five continents, must, according to the announcement, among other tasks, continue to aid Jews in neutral countries of the old world; to aid refugees to emigrate to safety from Portugal and other neutral countries, from which limited emigration continues; to provide sustenance, in cooperation with the Polish Government-in-Exile, for 600,000 Polish-Jewish refugees who fled before the advance of the Nazi war machine and are now living in destitution in Asiatic Russia; to provide assistance for hundreds of thousands in enemy-occupied territories such as Poland, Hungary, Rumania and Shanghai where, following the precedent of the last war, local committees have been authorized to borrow funds on the guarantee of the J.D.C. to repay when that can be done without aiding the enemy. These commitments for the next six months total $1,500,000. On a minimal basis, for the first half of 1942, the Joint Distribution Committee needs $5,200,000.

UNITED PALESTINE APPEAL AND N.R.S. OBLIGATIONS FOR THE YEAR

The United Palestine Appeal must provide in 1942 for the absorption, adjustment and retraining of thousands of refugees who continue to emigrate to Palestine from Russia, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Australia. It must purchase land and also help to establish from eight to ten colonies vital for food production, refugee settlement and for post-war absorption of thousands of homeless Jews; to maintain measures for the assurance of internal security of the Jews in Palestine; to stimulate trade and industry, artisans and small trades, so that increased materials may be made available to the British army; and to support the Jewish school system, which now has a student body of 60,000 Jewish children. The sum of $8,037,527 will be required for these activities in 1942.

The National Refugee Service has, in 1942, the responsibility of acting as an essential liaison organization between the federal government and Jewish communities concerning refugee status and control, and providing the communities with prompt information and advice on these matters. War has also increased the other obligations of the N.R.S. A rising relief program, due to the unemployment caused both by a “priorities depression” and wartime anti-alien sentiment, must be net by N.R.S. so no refugee will become a burden to the public. The N.R.S. program for resettling refugees away from the major ports of entry continues with government permission and will be an important part of the agency’s work. The N.R.S. spent $3,059,295 in 1941.