Alex Grass, national chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, reporting on the success of the 1985 UJA/Federated Community Campaigns, stated that $598 million had been raised as of August 28, compared to $533.5 million pledged by the same donors last year. This represented a 12.1 percent card-for-card increase and a dollar gain of $64.5 million.
His reports were made to the UJA’s Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of the United Israel Appeal, the Council of Jewish Federations and the Jewish Agency Executive meeting, all in New York City.
Grass added that a total of $162.6 million has been raised for Project Renewal including $10 million pledged during the ’85 Campaign. Project Renewal is the program specifically designed to aid distressed neighborhoods in Israel by linking them to American communities.
The national chairman also announced that Operation Moses, the special campaign to raise money for the absorption of Ethiopian Jewry, has raised $63.9 million, including pledges and community guarantees. Nineteen major and 29 intermediate communities have already achieved or exceeded their goals in record time, Grass said.
Concerning total calendar year cash collections, he reported that $237.1 million has been collected as of August 31, compared to $205.3 million at the same time last year.
1986 CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Reporting on 1986 Campaign highlights, which began earlier this year, Grass described the recent successful Major Gifts Invitational Mission to Eastern Europe and Israel, under the leadership of national vice chairman Alan Shulman. The participants visited JDC operations in Warsaw, Prague and Bucharest and met with members of the remnant Jewish communities.
In Israel, they exchanged greetings with President Chaim Herzog and viewed Israel’s miracles in the Arava. Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin analyzed recent Middle Eastern events, each from a different perspective.
Pledges at the caucus came to $5.5 million, a card-for-card increase of 23 percent over last year’s gifts by the same donors. Equally important, participants promised to return to their home communities and play active roles in the ’86 Campaign.
OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE ’86 CAMPAIGN PLAN
Other components of the ’86 Campaign plan, according to Grass, include the following:
*”Fly-In,” under the leadership of national vice chairman Morton Kornreich, is designed to assist community efforts in the solicitation of $10,000-and-over gifts. Teams of distinguished Israelis and UJA national officers are visiting communities for face-to-face solicitations, fundraising meetings and leadership briefings.
* The UJA President’s Mission to Vienna and Israel will take place October 9-17, under the leadership of national vice chairman Neil Norry.
* The UJA “Washington Connection” is scheduled for November 12. This intensive all-day event, under the leadership of national vice chairman Jerry Dick, will enable communities to recruit participants in the $10,000 plus categories whose commitments have not been closed.
* “Today Not Tomorrow” is a unique UJA plan designed to raise the goals of smaller communities.
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