Isidor Coons Retires from His Post in United Jewish Appeal; Lauded by U.j.s.a Leaders

Isidor Coons, executive vice-chairman of the United Jewish Appeal since it was established in 1939, and director of fund-raising for the Joint Distribution Committee for 19 years, made Known today his retirement as an officer of the national campaign on behalf of the Joint Distribution Committee, the United Palestine Appeal and the United Service for New Americans.

At the same time, Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, William Rosenwald and Herman L. Weis men, national chairmen of the U.J.A., praised Coons1 outstanding service to the organization, The three national chairmen revealed that Coons had originally requested retirement from his post as of Dec, 31, 1948, marking completion by him of a decade of U.J.A. executive leadership. At their urging, however, Coons continued his duties in order to assure successful completion of the final aspects of the 1948 campaign, and to assist in the inauguration of the 1949 campaign.

A statement lauding Coons’ service was made by Edward M.M. Warburg, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, which Coons represented in the United Jewish Appeal. “The Joint Distribution Committee,” Warburg said, “and the millions of distressed Jews it has aided, owe Isidor Coons a great debt of gratitude for the enormous labors he undertook in their behalf and for the successful manner in which he helped to raise the vital funds which fed the hungry and rescued the stricken. To thousands of communities throughout the United States and particularly to community leaders, it was ‘Dor’ Coons who symbolized the U.J.A. and especially the J.D.C. and their responsibilities to the distressed and needy Jews overseas. His is a proud and outstanding record of years of life-saving activity. In his work ho has been a prime architect of the present U.J.A. fund-raising structure through which millions of human beings have been given hope and a new chance in life.”