With Alfred E. Smith, Mayor LaGuardia and Commissioner of Public Welfare William L. Hodson heading the roster of speakers, the Women’s Division of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies was exhorted yesterday to keep up its works of mercy for which there is an ever-increasing need, at the division’s annual meeting and luncheon at the Hotel Commodore.
Maintaining that neither the State nor the city was in position to provide for the manifold requirements of the host of persons in need of assistance, former Governor Smith urged the Federation to broaden the number of its subscribers and to press those already signed up “to do a little better this year.”
He particularly stressed the plight of the orphaned and homeless children and the necessity of hospital aid, and laid the solution of the problem at the door of the individual citizen.
Mayor LaGuardia, after reviewing the budget requirements of the municipality, exclaimed: “I don’t know what the City of New York would do without the ninety one affiliated institutions of the Federation.”
Announcing that the Federation this year has voted a budget of $3,550,000 for the support of its affiliates, Mrs. Felix M. Warburg, cochairman of the division campaign, said: “Of this sum, less than half is in sight at this time. Federation’s workers will be called on to raise from the community more than $2,000,000 to make up the deficit for 1934. This is the largest deficit that we have ever undertaken to raise in all of Federation’s history.”
Mrs. Alfred A. Cook read the annual report in the absence of Mrs. Sidney C. Borg, cochairman of the campaign. The report revealed that one of the most out standing projects of the Women’s Division is the Thrift House, headed by Mrs. Julius Ochs Adler. A year’s operation of the house resulted in a net gain of $25,000.
Among others who spoke were Mrs. Samuel A. Lewisohn, Mrs. Paul Baerwald and Rabbi Samuel H. Goldenson of Temple Emanu-El, who delivered the invocation.
Among the guests on the dais were Mrs. Albert Einstein and Mrs. Henry Morgenchau, Jr.
“Social Work Under the New Deal” was the subject of discussion.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
