Secretary Hoover Praises Generosity of American Jews

The generosity of American Jews was praised by Secretary Hoover in a letter to David A. Brown made public yesterday, in which the Secretary of Commerce endorsed the United Jewish Campaign.

“Every friend of humanity will be delighted to learn of the fine progress being made by the Fifteen Million Dollar United Jewish Campaign under your able leadership. The reports that come to me indicate that your splendid unselfish effort will be crowned with success,” Secretary Hoover wrote.

“Our Jewish fellow citizens have always answered in fullest measure to every call on them for the relief of suffering whether at home or abroad. Ever since the beginning of the world war they have had continuous appeals from their co-religionists throughout the world and they have made response in most extraordinary degree, as witness the upwards of $60,000,000 which has been spent up to this time. I have a fine recollection of the cooperation of the Joint Distribution Committee with the American Relief Administration in its efforts to relieve the great famines in Poland and later in Russia.

“The fine effort which the Association is now making to put their co-religionists on a self-supporting basis throughout the world and to relieve the continued poverty which exists among them will, I have no doubt, again meet generous response from the Jews of America. I have no doubt that many of their Christian fellow citizens will want to have a share in relieving such distress.

“Every wish for success of your efforts, in which I am sure the whole country joins,” he concluded.

The Joint Distribution Committee loaned its overseas staff to the American Relief Administration and contributed $3,827,000 toward its nonsectarian relief undertakings. It also loaned the services of its agricultural expert, Dr. Joseph A. Rosen, whose seeding program saved millions of famine-stricken Russians from death by starvation in the Volga region.

COMMUNICATION TO THE EDITOR

Sir:

I wish to call your attention to an error in your “Bulletin” of January 20th.

Mrs. Alfred Rosenstein of Philadelphia is mentioned as the Chairman of the Committee on Hebrew Union College Scholarships and Dormitory Maintainance. Mrs. Joseph Stolz, of Chicago, is the Chairman of this Committee.

HELEN STRAUSS, National Field Secretary.

Cincinnati, O., Feb. 1, 1926.

JEWISH COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES

The Jewish Social Service Bureau of Cleveland. O., aided 922 families during the last year, Miss Violet Kittner, director of the Burcau, reported at its annual meeting. The total expenditures for the year were $128,323. A new information department functioned by rendering service to the Montefiore Home for the Aged, and the Martha House, the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives.

The Welfare Association for Jewish Children of Cleveland has been caring for 152 children, its director, Mrs. Ethel Oberbrunner, reported. Through private subscriptions, a fund of $11,000 has been raised for the children, it was announced by E. S. Halle, vice-president. The children are maintained in private homes.

The revised $4,000,000 goal set for the campaign by the Philadelphia Federation of Jewish Charities for its building fund was exceeded by one-tenth.

Judge Horace Stern, president of the Federation, announced the total subscriptions and pledges aggregated $4,404,000. This is $900,000 above the first objective figure, which was $3.500,000.

The drive was terminated three days ahead of the original schedule.

Alfred W. Fleisher announced that Mrs. Jennie Miller, prominently identified with Jewish philanthropy, had increased her original subscription of $20,000 to $100,000, which is to be used in the interest of the Talmud Torah schools.

The campaign to raise the sum of $7,500, as the quota for Camden, N. J., for the United Palestine Appeal was launched.

Samuel Shane is chairman of the campaign.