A 16-1/2 hour marathon of campaigning by 10,000 New York Jews on Sunday and continuing to Monday in support of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies Joint Campaign have yielded their first $5 million, according to joint campaign officials. Braving rain and wind, thousands of volunteers in he organization’s annual mobilization, working out of 99 centers throughout New York City, Westchester and Long Island, called on neighbors and asked them for contributions to aid needy and endangered Jews in Israel, elsewhere overseas and here at home. The “bell-ringers” had raised $750,000, at last count.
The marathon ended at 1:30 a.m. Monday when a television special went off the air, having raised to that hour $3,832,110 from New Yorkers of all faiths. Alan King and Bess Myerson were the hosts on the program broadcast by the local WPIX-TV station. It featured more than 50 stars and celebrities and raised half a million dollars more than a similar show last year.
An additional $450,000 was raised during the day Monday by relays of volunteers who continued to man the telephones in a mid-town Manhattan hotel. Hundreds of New York City volunteers were joined by Jewish community leaders from cities throughout the United States. Their activities thus far have brought “Mobilization’76” volunteers a third of the way toward their goal of raising $15 million this week, a record sum for so short a time in the absence of all-out war involving the people of Israel. A similar effort a year ago raised $8 million. Howard Samuels and Elaine K. Winik are co-chairmen of the multi-pronged effort that has enlisted volunteers young and old, from all over the city and suburbs.
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