A united committee to appeal for funds for German Jewish relief was constituted here today, bringing to successful conclusion negotiations between Zionists and non-Zionists for a merger of the two relief efforts.
The presidium of the committee, as announced today, is composed of Lord Reading, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, former president of the World Zionist Organization; Lionel Rothschild, Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz and Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organization and of the Jewish Agency.
It is hoped that the committee will be able to raise a half million pounds (approximately two million dollars) in England alone. Allocation of the funds raised, which formed the chief difficulty in the course of the negotiations and once led to their unsuccessful termination, was left open. An allocation committee for distributing relief partly among the Jews in Germany and among Jewish refugees in other countries and partly in reconstructive work, the bulk of which will be in Palestine, will be named. The exact proportion of the funds to be used in Palestine, however, was not determined, the non-Zionist group pointing out that at this time it is difficult to foretell how the situation may develop in the future. But a “substantial proportion,” it was agreed will be devoted to Palestine.
This, with the fact that three Zionists and three non-Zionists, with d’Avigdor Goldsmid. chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as probable chairman, is taken to ensure that the division of funds will not slight Palestine. Moreover, even non-Zionists here are turning to the belief that Palestine is the main constructive solution of the problem of the Jewish refugees from Germany.
WORLD APPEAL TO BE MADE
The unity achieved in England in connection with German Jewish relief does not affect other countries where the Zionist organizations may continue to work independently of other groups. The world appeal of the Jewish Agency, therefore, will continue as scheduled, and money alloted from English Jewry’s united effort as well as from other countries will be utilized in Palestine under the supervision of the Jewish Agency.
It is now definitely determined that Dr. Weizmann will head the Agency’s world appeal. He will proceed to the United States early next month in behalf of the American Palestine Campaign, to aid in organizing the appeal and to make several public addresses. His visit, originally intended to be but a short stay in Chicago, is expected now to extend beyond that.
Anthony Rothchild has been appointed chairman of the British appeal and Simon Marks, prominent Zionist, as chairman of the appeal committee. The British Keren Hayesod organization machinery will be utilized in the united appeal in an arrangement whereby it will average its ordinary income independently of allocation from the entire fund.
The world appeal for Palestine is to be issued within the next few days.
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.
