U.j. A. Study Mission Told of Special Problems Posed by Algerian Exodus

The 138 members of the United Jewish Appeal Study Mission to Europe and Israel were told here today that the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee was spending one-third of its total budget on emergency measures to help the 200,000 Jewish newcomers from Algeria and elsewhere now in France.

Charles Jordan, JDC director-general, said at a luncheon served at the refugee canteen here that the JDC is spending nearly $3,000,000 this year in France, where the Jewish population has increased from 300,000 to over half a million in the last few years. This gives France the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, he said.

The tremendous influx of Jews in this country has created a situation where existing Jewish community installations, welfare agencies, clinics, schools, synagogues and communities are “swamped” in their efforts to integrate the newcomers, Mr. Jordan said. This has caused an increase of nearly $500,000 over JDC expenditures in the 27 countries in which it operated in 1961, he noted.

He pointed out that these funds were pooled with those raised by the major French Welfare Organization–the Fonds Social Juif Unifie–and contributions from other sources. Assistance for repatriates was also provided by the French Government, but had to be supplemented, Mr. Jordan said.

To date, a special North African housing fund of $200,000 and a common fund for North Africans have been established, he continued. These have been used for reception, temporary shelter, social assistance and medical care.

The group was also addressed by Joseph Meyerhoff of Baltimore, general chairman of the UJA and by Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, UJA executive vice-president. Today the leaders heard plans and briefings concerning JDC and other welfare operations elsewhere in Europe.