A record total of $150,000,000 was raised during 1948 by the United Jewish Appeal, it was announced over the week-end by William Rosenwald, Herman L. Weisman and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, national chairmen of the U.J. A. The 1948 effort was described as the “greatest campaign in the history of private philanthropy.”
The announcement stated that the $150,000,000 figure represented not only the largest sum ever raised by the U.J.A. since its inception in 1939, but that it “established a new level of giving for any non-governmental humanitarian or relief campaign in the history of the United States.” In making the year-end report, the national chairmen pointed out that campaigns in behalf of the U.J.A. were conducted in 4,950 cities, towns and villages with more than 1,000,000 Jewish contributors. In scores of communities substantial contributions were also received from non-Jews, the report added.
The U.J.A. chairman stated that a detailed report on the results of last year’s drive would be presented at the 1949 national conference of the United Jewish Appeal, which will be held in Atlantic City on Jan. 12-13, to map plans for the 1949 campaign on behalf of the Joint Distribution Committee, United Palestine Appeal and United Service for New Americans. More than 1,200 Jewish communal, leaders from all parts of the nation will participate in the conference.
Of the total raised in 1948, the J.D.C. will receive $64,900,000; the U.P.A. will receive $74,700,000; and the U.S.N.A., $10,400,000.
Special tribute was paid by Rabbi Wise and Messrs. Rosenwald and Weisman to the “extraordinary energy and devotion” of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., former Secretary of the Treasury, who served as general chairman of the campaign in 1948 as well as in 1947. “His inspirational leadership represented a historic contribution to the success of the 1948 United Jewish Appeal and helped makes the year that has just ended truly a ‘Year of Destiny’ for the Jewish people in Israel, in Europe and elsewhere,” the national chairmen declared. “Under the impact of his statesmanship and vigorous stimulation, Jewish communities throughout the United States were encouraged to unprecedented response to the 1948 drive.”
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