More than a hundred of New York’s leading department store owners, merchants and manufacturers attended a seminar on philanthropy at a special dinner meeting at Hotel Plaza, Wednesday night under the chairmanship of Percy S. Straus, vice-president of R. H. Macy & Co., and chairman of the Business Men’s Council of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies, which will conduct a campaign for $4,720,000 this year.
While the representatives of business and the professions sat at small dinner tables, a spotlight was directed on a table in the center of the room, where ten workers for philanthropy, especially trained in the art of money-raising, enacted the details of a trade committee meeting from beginning to end. The session was featured by a composite picture of the outstanding developments at meetings in previous years and was intended to bring to the attention of the leading figures in the various trades the best method of trades organization for charity. Through the trades organization method, the Business Men’s Council of the Federation has raised $35,000,000 for philanthropy and the same means will be employed by the New York Jewish community in its efforts to secure the $4,720,000 this year.
Under the spotlight, taking part in the model meeting, were Joseph Gutman, of the Pacific Novelty Division of the Dupont Viscoloid Co.; Jonah J. Goldstein, attorney; Ralph E. Samuel, of the Samuel Stores; Herman W. Block, of S. Stein and Co.; Joseph Frankel, of the Fox, Frankel Realty Co.; Dudley D. Sicher, of the D. E. Sicher,; William Neugass, retired children’s and infants’ wear manufacturer; Ira M. Younker, retired department store manager and now general manager of the Federation campaign; Solomon Lowenstein, executive director of the Federation; and Joseph Willen, director of the Business Men’s Council of the Federation.
Following the model meeting, the meeting was converted into a seminar and all of the councillors and division heads of the Business Men’s Council contributed suggestions based on their experience in organizing trade groups in previous campaigns. The outstanding worker in every trade and profession presented his ideas on the subject and mimeographed copies of an ideal meeting then were distributed.
Among those who attended the seminar were Felix M. Warburg, Frederick Brown, Arthur Lehman, Solomon Lowenstein, Sol M. Stroock and Samuel J. Bloomingdale.
Simon Bamberger, 79 years old, whose term of office began in 1917 and was completed in 1921, died in Salt Lake City today.
Mr. Bamberger enjoyed the distinction of being Utah’s first Democratic Governor, as well as the first non-Mormon Governor of the State.
Until recently he was President of the Salt Lake & Denver Railroad Company.
Simon Bamberger was born at Darmstadt, Germany, in 1847 and came to this country with his parents when 14 years old.
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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.
