A call to American Jews to $1,000,000 during the month of June was issued at an extraordinary conference of the directors of the United Palestine Appeal and leaders prominent in Zionist work held Sunday at the Pennsylvania Hotel.
This decision was taken following a series of reports submitted to the conference by Norvin R. Lindheim who recently returned from Palestine Louis Lipsky, president of the Zionist oganization of America, who returned day from London where he attended the sessions of the Actions Committee; and Emanuel Neumann, chairman of the Executive Committee of the United Palestine Appeal, who reported on cash receipts and the plans for prosecuting the cuting the United Palestine Appeal this year and next year.
It appeared from the reports that an emergency situation exists in Palestine which requires immediate, energetic steps on the part of American Zionists to take steps with a view to abolishing the dole system for the unemployed the workers in Palestine and to relieve the financial tie-up of various agencies working in the country.
The conference adopted the following resolution, calling for $1,000,000 in cahs during the month of June.
“The Conference of the Board of Disrecors of the United Palestine Appral and of leading workers throughout the country, having heards reports disclosing the seriousness that still characterizes the economic situation in Palestine, and having been informed by the president of the Zionist Organization of American of the deliberations and decision of the General Council of the World Zionist Organization at its last sessions in London looking towards the amelioration of this situation expresses its profound conviction that the difficulties now besetting Palestine, unless immediate and adequate means are provided to overcome them, jenjardize the entire structure of Jewish work in Palestine and constitute a menace of the gravest import to the Zionist cause in general. Given these means and with the large constructive enterprises about to be started by the Government, the Palestine Electric Company and other groups and individauls, a new era of further growth for Palestine is assured.
“This Conference further solemnly declares that never before in the three decades in the history of the Zionist movement has the cause been faced with a situation calling upon the loyalty of Zionists and the Jewish people generally for more immediate and greater service and sacrifice.
“This Conference, recognizing the obligation which rests on American Jewry, an obligation which falls in the first order upon the United Palestine Appeal, turns, therefore, to its host of workers and subscriber and with a frank statement of the critical nature of the situation and with full cognizance of the significance of the action, places the responsibility squarely upon them individually and collectively.
“In doing so, this Conference points out that the remedy for this situation lies in their hands. It demands that the necessary funds for carrying on and tiding over the difficulties be forthwith placed at the disposal of the United Palestine Appeal. This result could be accomplished not only by adding to the contributions but primarily by transforming into cash, with the least possible delay, the pledges outstanding.
“The sum of one million dollars is required as a minimum between now and the end of the month of June. This sum must be remitted to Palestine during the month of June. This conference, therefore, declares the month of June as Redemption Month for the United Palestine Appeal and calls upon all communities and individual workers and subscribers to rise to the seriousness of the situation and bring forward the required minimum and to prevent the labors of decades and the heroic sacrifices of our pioneers from suffering a defeat which may be irreparable.”
Judge William M. Lewis, national chairman of the United Palestine Appeal, who presided at the conference, stated:
“There is still a considerable amount of unemployment accompanied by distress, in some cases acute, especially in the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. In the agricultural settlements, on the other hand, conditions are practically normal. There is a steady consolidation which has led to the achievement of self-support by a number of the settlements established within the past five or six years and the prospect of further expansion is satisfactory.
“With regard to the depression in the cities which has led to the establishment of a system of doles for the unemployed, the Palestine Zionist Executive expects a considerable improvement and a return to normal from new undertakings about to be started, in particular, the improvement of the Haifa Harbor, the Ruttenberg electrification project on the Jordan and various public works particularly road building, which ? being undertaken by the Government and Municipalities.”
Mr. Lipsky dealt with the sessions of the General Council. To carry out this plan it was decided to make a special loan of $700,000, the major part of which has already been obtained in Europe. Mr. Lipsky concluded with the statement that those responsible for the work in Palestine look towards the United States to help them to bring the economic state of the country back to normal.
In reporting on the work of the United Palestine Appeal for the current year Mr. Neumann emphasized the fact that the immediate problem was to cash in outstanding pledges that have been made in campaigns all over the country which in practically every instance had made a substantial advance in proceeds over those of the previous year.
Addresses were also made by Dr. Stephen S. Wise, the honorary chairman of the United Palestine Appeal and Judge Julian W. Mack, honorary vice-chairman.
A special committee was appointed to included men and women from the principal centers of the country to study all the phases of the situation and report to the Board of Directors of the United Palestine Appeal. This Committee was charged among other things to prepare the budget of the United Palestine Appeal for the ensuing year.
Among those appointed on the special committee were Dr. Wise, Judge Juliao W. Mack Judge Otto Rosalsky, Judge Mitchell May, Samuel J. Rosensohn, Emanuel Neumann, Isidore Morison. Abram Leibovitz and others.
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.
