Special to the JTA Emergency Grants Announced for Hundreds of Iranian Jewish Children Who Have Arriv

The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York have made emergency grants in response to the plight of hundreds of Iranian Jewish children who have left the turmoil of their country and have reached the city in recent months, it was announced here today. They were able to come here because the youngsters are still permitted to leave Iran for study abroad.

In a joint announcement, Harry Mancher and Stephen Shalom, presidents of Federation and New York UJA, respectively, stated that up to $400,000 would be available in emergency relief funds. Additional Federation monies will be allocated for a service program.

Of this, an initial $50,000 has been released by Federation and UJA to pay for food and other basic costs of daily living for needy Iranian children indefinitely cut off from their families. This action has been voted by the Boards of the two organizations, they added, because of traditional Jewish concern for children here and everywhere in the world.

Of the $400,000, $200,000 has been pledged to Federation and UJA by the Iranian Jewish community in New York, and the remaining $200,000 will come from the funds of the two philanthropic organizations. Mancher pointed out that this partnership “represents a very significant milestone in cooperative relations between American Iranian Jews and the rest of the New York Jewish community. All parties are anxious to provide funds as quickly as possible. We are confident that the Iranian Jewish community will respond generously and speedily.”

ROLE OF THE LUBAVITCH HASIDIM

While most Jews who left Iran recently have gone to Israel, about 800 youngsters have come to

In addition to helping pay essential bills, Federation — primarily through its Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS) and Federation Employment and Guidance Service — will provide counseling as needed to all Iranian children coping with emotional and psychological problems, and will give vocational guidance and job placement assistance to older youth, it was reported.

Mancher stressed that legal responsibility for most of the Iranian Jewish children remains with the Lubavitch, which is overseeing their care. “However,” he said, “in the efforts being made by Federation and UJA. the organized Jewish community has demonstrated that it will not be indifferent to any Jewish child.” Shalom added that Israel is the preferred destination for Jews leaving Iran. “Some six thousand Iranian Jews have already emigrated this year to Israel,” he said.