Edward M.M. Warburg, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee and honorary chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, said today that the 140-member study mission of the 1964 UJA campaign, meeting here, intends "not to discuss the triumphs of the past, but the problems of the present."
He defined these as "the needs of more than 400,000 men, women and children" and what was being done to meet those needs, and what more was needed to be done "to attain the goals we all seek for them–health, well-being and, as much as possible also providing them with peace and security."
The opening session of the study mission in Israel was devoted to activities of the JDC, now marking its 50th anniversary. Charles H, Jordan, JDC overseas operations director, said the JDC had moved 620, 000 Jews since World War II, a half-million of them to Israel.
Moses Leavitt, JDC executive vice-chairman, said that the JDC must continue to provide medical and custodial care in Israel through Malben institutions to growing numbers of sick, aged and handicapped newcomers. At the same time, he told the mission, work must be continued for the needy among the established population.
"Paradoxically, " he said, "there will be no proportionate diminution in our responsibilities in countries from which they come, because staying behind will be the aged and the sick who are unable to leave and who must be taken care of. They will have no one but us to turn to, " he added, calling for more skill and know-how of the veteran, devoted staff of the JDC as well as for the large sums of money needed to handle the problems.
Subcommittees of the study mission who visited France, Italy, Iran, Morocco and Austria last week reported on the needs of the Jews of those countries. The mission members visited Tel Aviv University today to attend a dedication ceremony for the Walter Arzt High School, named for a New York member of the mission. They went to Lydda Airport tonight to witness the arrival of a group of new immigrants.
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