The United Jewish Appeal has already raised $100,000,000 since the first of the year, the 12-member U.J.A. “Crisis Mission” announced here today. The party was greeted at the Lydda airport by Labor Minister Golda Myerson and Berl Locker, chairman of the Jewish Agency executive in Jerusalem.
The delegation, which came to this country to confer with high government and Agency officials on the urgent economic situation facing the Jewish state as a result of the immigration and absorption of 300,000 refugee immigrants since May 15, 1948, is headed by Henry Montor, director of the U.J.A. The delegation will seek to determine the needs of Israel in 1950 and what portion of those needs must be obtained from American Jewry through the medium of the U.J.A.
In Israel great significance is attached to the arrival of the delegation because the members are, for the most part, community leaders in the major cities of the United States and will play a decisive role in determining the scope and operations of the U.J.A. campaign of 1950, as well as the quota which will be set for the organization.
In a statement issued upon arrival, the delegation declared: “We did not come to Israel as an official U.J.A. mission, but we are here as leaders of campaigns in the major cities throughout the United States. We and the rest of the American Jews are concerned with the many thousands of immigrants living under intolerable conditions in reception camps who constitute an emergency problem for the people of Israel. We are most anxious to see what measures can be taken for sparing the majority of immigrants added hardship and misery resulting from living under tents in the winter season.
“Beyond the immediate immigrant crisis,” the statement continued, “we are desirous of gathering all the facts through conferences with Israel Government leaders and the Jewish Agency on the development and settlement needs of Israel in 1950. It is our purpose to assemble this material and present a full report on next year’s programs to the national conference of Jewish leaders meeting in Atlantic City Nov. 25 under the auspices of the U.J.A.”
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