Wisconsin Modifies Joint Campaign at Request of United Palestine Appeal

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

The Joint campaign in Wisconsin to raise the state quotas for the Joint Distribution Committee and the United Palestine Appeal has been modified. The amount of the combined drive will be $350,000, which includes the three-year quota of $300,000 for the J. D. C. and a one-year quota of $30,000 for the United Palestine Appeal.

The announcement made by the joint committee last week involved a joint drive for $450,000 for both organizations on a three-year basis, $300,000 for the J. D. C. and $150,000 for the Palestine Appeal. The local leaders of the Palestine Appeal requested revision of the combined quota on the ground that the United Palestine Appeal, which seeks to raise $5,000,000 in 1926, is a one-year drive throughout the nation and does not cover the raising of funds for any future years. This they stated, is in keeping with the policy of all organizations affiliated with the United Palestine Appeal who have heretofore held drives for one year only. The joint committee unanimously concurred in the change at a meeting held last Monday.

The Palestine Appeal will therefore share with the J. D. C. in the Wisconsin $350,000 joint campaign on a basis of one-seventh of the total amount raised, which sum will be paid out of the total collections for the first year.

The request for modification of the original plans of the joint committee was made by Morris Stern, chairman of the Wisconsin drive for the United Palestine Appeal.

JEWISH COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES

Strengthening of the synagogues and greater intensity in the religious training of Jewish youth were declared to be the greatest needs of Judaism in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey at a meeting in Philadelphia of 200 delegates from 50 Jewish communities. The meeting was conducted by the United Synagogue of America as part of a nationwide series of conferences.

Rabbi Jacob G. Grossman, educational director of the organization, declared the progress of Jewish education is being hindered by a lack of text books. Nevertheless, he said. the movement on the whole is successful. Professor Mordecai M. Kaplan. head of the Jewish Teachers’ Institute. New York, urged that Jewish instructors teach, rather than preach, the history and ideals of Judaism.

Rabbi Louis Haas. of Reading, Pa., called upon the United Synagogue to undertake the task of standardizing a system of Jewish religious education.

The following were elected officers of the Eastern pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey branch of the United Synagogue of America:

Rabbi Samuel Freedman of Philadelphia. president: Rabbi Louis J. Haas of Reading, S. D. Einstein of Vineland, N. J., and Harry Levin of Harrisburg, Pa.. vice-presidents: Joseph L. Prince. of Pottstowa, Pa., treasurer. and N. L. S. Goldman of Philadelphia, secretary.

Plans for the erection of a synagogue in Sebring. Fla., have been accepted by the Beth Israel Congregation of that city. The estimated cost of the building is $20,000. A site for the synagogue has been selected.