American Jewry was urged today to mobilize its maximum efforts for the United Jewish Appeal in order to enable Israel to cope with the current rate of immigration. The call came in a cable from Israel’s Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion–who is now on a state visit in Burma–addressed to the 1,500 delegates of the 24th annual UJA National Conference which will open Sunday at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Terming UJA aid to immigrants in Israel “indispensable,” the Prime Minister said in his cable that the current wave of immigration into Israel is “one of the greatest challenges we have faced in the last decade.” The new immigration, Mr. Ben-Gurion noted, is straining the absorptive capacities of the people of Israel, who are still trying to meet the resettlement needs of more than 300,000 immigrants of previous years, “We will bring in this year’s newcomers gladly,” the message noted, “but we turn to you of UJA to raise a great sum over and above what you have done in recent years.
“We in Israel are determined to keep the gates open to all,” the Prime Minister’s cable stressed. “We have just added a new compulsory loan to heavy taxes and are paring national and individual expenditures, but we cannot do it alone. In the achievement of our vital mission, we count upon the UJA, the noble creation of American Jewry which has done so much to strengthen our hands ever since Israel came into being. Together let the people of Israel and American Jewry through the UJA fulfill our common duty in rescue and settlement.”
SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF BIG GIFTS MADE IN ADVANCE, MEYERHOFF REVEALS
Joseph Meyerhoff, UJA general chairman, said that in order to translate that duty into action, the National Conference of the United Jewish Appeal will call on the 1,500 delegates to adopt a Special Fund of $35,000,000 in 1962 in addition to the UJA Regular Campaign for $60,000,000. A substantial number of big gifts have been made in advance of the double drive, the UJA general chairman indicated; Announcement of these gifts at the conference will mark the earliest launching of a UJA campaign in its history.
The total goal of $95,000,000 will be presented at the Conference by Mr. Meyerhoff after an extensive analysis and discussion of the budgetary needs of UJA member agencies. Reports to be presented by Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, and Aryeh L. Pincus, treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel, “will graphically demonstrate both the strain and the challenge noted by the Prime Minister, in terms of UJA-supported operations,” Mr. Meyerhoff said.
Featured speakers at the conference will include Arthur J. Goldberg, U.S. Secretary of Labor; Dr. Giora Josephthal, Israel Minister of Development and Housing; Mrs. Marietta Tree, U.S. Representative on the UN Commission on Human Rights; Avraham Harman, Israel Ambassador to the U.S.; and Rabbi Irving Miller, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
In addition to Mr. Meyerhoff and UJA executive vice-chairman Herbert A. Friedman, who will address the conference, other UJA officers who will participate in key sessions are William Rosenwald, national chairman representing JDC; Dewey D. Stone, national chairman representing the United Israel Appeal; honorary national chairmen Edward M.M. Warburg and Morris W. Berinstein; and national chairmen Max M. Fisher and Jack D. Beiler.
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