Jack D. Weiler, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, will depart for South America next weekend on a two-week inspection tour of JDC-supported facilities. He will make stops in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Santiago, where JDC is subsidizing a Jewish education program, children’s homes and a program for the aged. He will be accompanied by Samuel L, Haber, JDC executive vice-chairman.
Weiler, who was elected JDC chairman at the agency’s 60th anniversary meeting in December, has visited other JDC-supported facilities in Israel and Europe but this is his first trip to South America. He and Haber will discuss with Jewish leaders the current welfare problems and needs in a variety of areas as they affect local Jewish communities in which the JDC may be helpful, Weiler said. He will report the findings to the Executive Committee at its next meeting.
“There are over 700,000 Jews in South America,” Weiler said. “Due to the economic situation they are facing severe problems and are hard-pressed to maintain Jewish institutions. In Argentina the JDC and the Jewish Agency have provided emergency funds over a period of years to enable the Jewish schools, with a total enrollment of some 18,000 children, to continue to function. In Chile JDC funds help maintain two homes for the aged, a children’s home, and has made some funds available for the one Jewish school with an enrollment of over 1000 children.”
There are also some funds reserved to meet emergency needs in Uruguay, and Weiler will look into this matter as well.
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