UJA Leader Tells Jewish Agency That Campaign ’85 Has Already Raised $462.8 Million, Far Ahead of ’84

Robert Loup, chairman of the United Jewish Appeal Board of Trustees, has informed the Jewish Agency Executive here that the UJA/Federation Campaign for 1985 has already raised $462.8 million. This represents a card-for-card increase of 13.4 percent and a dollar gain of $54.7 million over the amounts pledged by the same contributors last year.

Loup said that, overall, Campaign ’85 has raised $46.1 million more than at the same juncture last year. He added that the campaign is now 64.3 percent completed with Campaign ’85 pledges still open by persons who pledged a total of $226.8 million last year. His figures are as of April 15.

“Many communities will finish Campaign ’85 in May and June,” Loup said at a monthly meeting of the Jewish Agency Executive. “We think there will be substantial increases in coming months. ” Loup also reported that cash collection in the first quarter of 1985 totalled $115.5 million, a 28 percent increase over the $90.3 million collected last year.

He also informed the 19-member body that $634.9 million has been raised for Campaign ’84, a peacetime campaign year record. Loup said 1984 cash collections totalled $367.6 million, a $41 million increase over the $326.6 million collected in 1983. He added that the $101.2 million collected last December made it among the best cash collection months in UJA history.

Turning to Project Renewal, Loup said American Jews have now contributed $159.9 million, including $8.4 million during the current campaign, to help distressed Israeli neighborhoods directly linked — financially and by people-to-people friendships — to American Jewish communities. Loup stressed that, despite other pressing needs which American Jews would help meet, the commitment to Project Renewal was still strong.

“The question is not if funds will be raised for Project Renewal, “said Loup, a former UJA national chairman. “The question is only how.”