To help meet Israel’s critical shortages of food, housing, medical supplies and health facilities, the United Jewish Appeal is seeking to raise $15,000,000 in cash during the month of October at the rate of $500,000 daily as part of its emergency nationwide campaign to raise $35,000,000 by the end of 1951. Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, U.J.A. executive vice-chairman, today told more than 300 Jewish community leaders from six states attending the Appeal’s Southwest Regional Conference at the Hotel Mayo here.
Dr. Schwartz reported on his discussions with Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and other Israel Government leaders. He told the conference delegates that the one-month $15,000,000 cash drive is “phase one” of the Appeal’s extraordinary effort to raise $35,000,000 by December 31 “in this determined effort to help meet Israel’s needs by the end of the year.” The Southwest Regional Conference of the U.J.A. is being attended by leaders of Jewish communities in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Dr. Schwartz cited Israel’s food shortage as typical of her grave needs. He emphasized that “while there is no starvation in Israel, the food situation is not good and is wearing down the even temper and good humor with which the Israeli in the past has met and conquered his hardships.” Israel needs an especially good rainy winter to stimulate the growth of food crops, he explained. “But if this coming winter is rainy it will work terrible hardships on no less than 200,000 immigrants now living in tents, shacks and flimsy huts, and the 50,000 who can be expected by the year’s end,” he added.
Dr. Schwartz linked Israel’s medical shortages with its other serious deficiencies asserting that “the present lack of medicines, equipment and health facilities is dangerous and foreboding.” He said that the United Jewish Appeal mission had been advised that $1,500,000 in cash is needed for the purchase in the next four months of surgical equipment, antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.
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