A total of $75,230 has been spent by the Israel Matz Foundation for the support of Hebrew scholars, writers and their widows, it was announced yesterday in connection with the tenth anniversary of the foundation.
The foundation was established by Israel Matz, noted American Jewish philanthropist, who is known for his love of Hebrew institutions. Mr. Matz has set aside a number of shares of an American industrial company as the principal capital for the foundation. The profit which these shares brought during the last ten years amounted to more than $90,000. The shares are administered by a board of trustees, of which Professor M. M. Kaplan is the chairman and Peter Wiernik the treasurer. Leo Matz is the executive secretary.
The $75,230 which the foundation has distributed during the ten years of its existence has helped more than 1,000 Jewish writers in various lands to pursue their careers. Pensions were also paid out to widows of Hebrew scholars. Thirty-five per cent of the entire sum was spent in Palestine.
About $15,000 was spent for subsidiaries to Hebrew writers and institutions in Germany. More than $9,000 was expended in Poland, and approximately the same sum in Austria.
The activities of the foundation has spread to Soviet Russia, where $7,400 was spent. In the United States only $3,625, less than five per cent of the total was distributed.
The Israel Matz Foundation was established not only for the purpose of supporting Hebrew scholars and widows of Hebrew writers, but also to assist in the establishment of Hebrew libraries and the existence of Hebrew schools. The Foundation has also helped many Hebrew writers settle in Palestine.
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.
