Distribution Body Named to Allocate U.J.A. Funds

Announcement was made today by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, national chairmen, of the appointment of a distribution committee to allocate funds raised by the United Jewish Appeal to the Joint Distribution Committee, the United Palestine Appeal and the National Refugee Service, its three constituent agencies.

The distribution committee, which is composed of two representatives each of the Joint Distribution Committee and the United Palestine Appeal and three representatives of welfare fund communities appointed by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, subject to the approval of the J.D.C. and U.P.A., will distribute all funds raised by the United Jewish Appeal beyond the sum of $11,250,000, which was divided among the three agencies as advances to enable them to carry on their programs in the first months of the current year.

Membership of the distribution committee follows: James H. Becker of Chicago and Dr. Solomon Lowenstein of New York, in behalf of the J.D.C.; Dr. Silver and Dr. Stephen S. Wise, for the U.P.A. and Harris Perlstein of Chicago, David M. Watchmaker of Boston and Henry Wineman of Detroit, for the welfare fund communities. Elisha M. Friedman of New York was named research director for the distribution committee.

In announcing establishment of the distribution committee, Rabbi Silver and Rabbi Wise said: “The principle of scientific allocation of funds was introduced by the United Jewish Appeal in 1939 when through an allocations committee, it undertook to survey the needs of various phases of the Jewish situation without determining at the beginning of the year the full amount that would be distributed to the participating agencies. This principle is being continued and perfected in the year 1940. The distribution committee constitutes an assurance to the contributors to the United Jewish Appeal that their funds will be utilized throughout 1940 in specific relationship to those causes and opportunities which offer the most productive results from the funds that can be provided.”