United Jewish Appeal Dissolved; JDC and Upa Will Conduct Separate Campaigns

The Joint Distribution Committee and the United Palestine Appeal have decided to conduct independent fund-raising campaigns in 1945, it was learned here today. Their decision marks the end of the United Jewish Appeal which has functioned since 1938 as a joint fund-raising body.

The split came as result of disagreement between the United Palestine Appeal and the Joint Distribution Committee with regard to the proportion of funds each of the agencies should got from the joint fund-raising campaign. A proposal to continue the UJA offered by a special mediation committee of the Council of Federations and Welfare funds to both agencies was reported today to have been rejected by the U.D.A. although it was accepted by the representatives of the J.D.C.

Paul Baerwald, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, today informed the members of the board of directors of the J.D.C. of the break-up, in a notice which he sent to each of them, the text of which reads as follows:

“At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in Cincinnati February 10th and 11th, a special mediation committee appointed by the Council made a proposal to the Joint Distribution Committee and the United Palestine Appeal for the renewal of the United Jewish Appeal contract for 1945. This proposal was accepted by the representatives of the J.D.C. present in Cincinnati.

“The J.D.C. was informed today by the U.P.A. that the meeting of the U.P.A. Executive Committee held February 12th rejected the proposal of the special mediation committee of the Council. Prior to the Cincinnati meeting, the J.D.C. had offered to continue the 1944 contract of the U.J.A. for the year 1945. This was rejected by the U.P.A. The J.D.C. has been informed by the U.P.A. that it will conduct an independent national campaign in 1945. The J.D.C. announces therefore that it will conduct its own 1945 national campaign independently.

“With the continued support of the Jews in the United States, the Joint Distribution Committee confidently expects that in this critical year of unprecedented Jewish suffering and need throughout the world, the Joint Distribution Committee will receive even greater support than ever before. Plans of action for 1945 will be considered at a special meeting of the Joint Distribution Committee to be held shortly.”

Officers of the United Palestine Appeal, queried by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, declared that “the U.P.A. is not prepared at the present moment to make any statement.”