U.J.A. Convention Stresses Increased Responsibility of Young Leadership

The younger generation of American Jewish communal leaders must now take a full share of the primary responsibility of translating worldwide Jewish needs into effective community action, Edward M. M. Warburg, outstanding American Jewish leader, told today’s closing session of the three-day United Jewish Appeal national Young Leadership Conference.

Addressing more than 300 young Jewish community leaders from all sectors of the country, the UJA honorary national chairman and chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee declared: "The history of American Jewry offers ample testimony to the fact that whenever it has been strongly aware of overseas need, it has responded immediately and generously. It is your duty as maturing leaders to go out and learn the facts of Jewish need in their full human dimension, to keep them constantly before the members of your communities and to turn their desire to help into a great outpouring of life-saving funds."

Theodore Kollek, director-general of the Israel Prime Minister’s Office, termed the United Jewish Appeal "indispensable in carrying out the vital task of absorbing immigrants into the social and economic fabric of the country. It would be almost impossible to contemplate doing that tremendous job without the support of the UJA."

The "coming of age" of the younger generation of American Jewish communal leaders was hailed by Joseph Meyerhoff, general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal. "In the short year since our historic first Young Leadership Conference," he told the delegates, aged 25 to 35 years, "young leaders like you have come dramatically to the fore in support of philanthropic activities in your home areas and abroad. You have demonstrated conclusively that you are ready to carry on the great global humanitarian work begun by your fathers twenty-three years ago, when they organized the United Jewish Appeal."

"In view of the magnitude of the problems facing world Jewry in Israel and elsewhere," declared Mr. Meyerhoff, "it is heartening to know that the full force of emerging young Jewish leadership in America will be put to use in UJA’s drive to meet the needs of Jews the world over in 1962. The national leadership of the United Jewish Appeal is confident that you will help us get the job done next year, and for many years to come."

Among the factors cited by Mr. Meyerhoff as crucial in the forthcoming campaign were: steadily increasing immigration to Israel, the growing need for effective absorption of all of Israel’s newcomers and greater pressure on UJA member agencies to provide relief and resettlement aid for hundreds of thousands outside of Israel.

TWIN STREAMS OF JEWISH MIGRATION TO ISRAEL AND U.S. EMPHASIZED

Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, executive vice-chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, told the delegates: "The course of the historic twin streams of Jewish migration into the modern democratic communities of Israel and the United States points toward an exciting future. It is the great opportunity of your generation to apply your energy and resources, your minds and hearts, to the continued upbuilding of Jewish life in both countries."

Stressing the importance of Israel in the task of reconstructing Jewish life at the close of World War II, Rabbi Friedman said: "That task, which confronted your fathers could not be accomplished in a single generation," he told the delegates. "It is your task now to carry on that work and to help the people of Israel carry forward to the heights of dynamic, democratic life toward which they have been so determinedly aiming."

Other featured addresses at the Conference were made by Avraham Harman, Israel Ambassador to the United States, who commented on the significance of young leadership in both countries; General Chaim Bar-Lev of the Israel Defense Forces, who described the extensive educational programs conducted by the IDF among youthful immigrant trainees; Gottheb Hammer, executive vice-chairman of the Jewish Agency, Inc., reporting on problems of Israel’s immigrants who must have UJA’s aid; and Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, who analyzed problems facing the programs of that UJA member agency outside of Israel.

"In six Moslem countries of North Africa and the Near East," Mr. Leavitt told delegates, "nearly one-fourth of the Jewish population receives JDC assistance, including feeding programs, medical care and a variety of other aid. Depressed economic conditions in some areas have made our programs more vital than ever before. This trend may well continue and, with deepening need developing in European areas as well, we will find ourselves hard-pressed if our budgetary requirements are not met through UJA in 1962."

Joining Mr. Leavitt in reporting on UJA member agency programs reaching nearly an additional 300,000 people outside of Israel were Philip Soskis, director of the New York Association for New Americans, and James Rice, director of the United Hias Service. Earlier, delegates heard a detailed exposition by Mr. Hammer of progress and problems in immigrant absorption programs carried out by the Jewish Agency (Jerusalem) operating with funds supplied by the United Israel Appeal, a UJA member agency, and allocated by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Inc., an American body.