Study on Fund-raising in 14 European Jewish Communities Started

Jewish community service and other fund-raising organizations in 14 West European countries will be asked to join in a study of fund-raising in those communities launched here yesterday under the joint sponsorship of four major Jewish organizations. The study is being sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod, the Standing Conference of European Jewish Community Services and the Joint Distribution Committee.

“The termination of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and changes in relations between Israel and other Jewish communities underlines the need for a reappraisal of the fund-raising efforts of European Jewish communities and has moved us to join forces in an undertaking which we consider to have broad significance for the future of Jewish life,” a communique declared.

The 14-month research project will be directed by Abraham A. Kessler, director of the Economic Research Corporation of Jerusalem which conducted a similar survey in Israel three years ago under auspices of the Jewish Agency, the JDC and the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds of the United States.

Discussions preceding the decision stressed that the study should serve as a stimulus to evaluate present services in terms of current and future needs, to develop new sources of income and for setting of priorities where income proved insufficient to meet all needs.

One theme of the discussion was that European Jewish communities were faced with the challenge of establishing their independence from aid from the American Jewish community and of continuing and improving their aid to Israd. It was argued also that the European communities must also assume their “fair share” of responsibility for mutual aid to less fortunate Jewish communities outside of Israel.