The agreement for a United Jewish Appeal, through which approximately $30,500,000 was raised for the three constituent agencies in the past two years, will not be renewed for 1941, it was announced today, following the failure of negotiations extending over the past several months.
The joint chairmen, Rabbis Abba Hillel Silver and Jonah B. Wise, announced in a statement that the Joint Distribution Committee, United Palestine Appeal and National Refugee Service would conduct separate campaigns during the coming year, but stressed that “cordial relations and generous cooperation” would continue.
The United Palestine Appeal immediately announced an unprecedented goal of $12,000,000 for 1941, with Chairman Silver declaring in a statement that next year would be a decisive one for the Jewish national home in Palestine and asserting that “American Jewry cannot…let down those Jews in Palestine who are our front-line soldiers in the war for the liberation of mankind.”
A last-minute effort to obtain continuation of the united appeal had been made by Sidney Hollander, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, who telegraphed the heads of the three agencies urging them to meet with the Council on Dec. 27. The JDC and NRS agreed to attend, but Chairman Silver of the UPA replied that “we have already announced independent campaigns for 1941.”
Hollander’s telegram, addressed to Rabbi Silver, William Rosenwald, president of the NRS, and Paul Baerwald, chairman of the JDC, said: “In view of mounting protests on the pert of welfare funds and of representatives of UJA agencies and hazards to 1941 campaigns, consider it essential that representatives of agencies meet with Council for reconsideration and for joint conference and planning. Will you appoint three representatives to meet at Council office, New York, Friday, December 27 at 2:30 p.m.”
STATEMENT ON DISSOLUTION OF UJA
The joint statement announcing dissolution of the UJA pointed out that the appeal would continue to collect and distribute outstanding funds from the 1939 and 1940 campaigns. The statement follows:
“we herewith announce that as of Dec. 31, 1940, the United Jewish Appeal will cease to function as the agency for the collection and distribution of new funds for the 1941
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