Dr. Israel Goldstein, treasurer of the Jewish Agency, told a press conference here today that agreement has already been reached between the United Palestine Appeal and the Joint Distribution Committee in the U.S. for renewal of the United Jewish Appeal for 1950, although the question of the percentage distribution of moneys collected by the U.J.A. has not yet been discussed.
Dr. Goldstein predicted that the 1949 U.J.A. campaign will raise twenty percent less than was realized in the previous year. He attributed this primarily to “the worsening general economic situation in the United States.” The result of the 1949 drive, he said, would have been even poorer were it not for Henry Morgenthau, Jr., general chairman of the U.J.A., and a “group of zealous workers around him.”
Special stimulation was given to the campaign by President Chaim Weizmann, Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, Labor Minister Golda Myerson, and Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog during their visits to the U.S., Dr. Goldstein reported.
One of the problems which the U.J.A. will face next year is the increasing multiplicity of fund-raising activities conducted in the U.S. in the name of various projects in Israel, the Agency official declared. Within a fortnight, a conference will be held in Israel to seek a solution to this problem, he revealed. Participating in the conference will be representatives of the Israeli Government, the Jewish Agency and other interested groups in Israel and from abroad, he said.
“American Jews,” Dr. Goldstein continued, “appreciate the fact that Israel needs investment of private capital in addition to gift dollars. In my judgment, there is a favorable prospect for the selling of Amidor debentures in the United States.” He emphasized that American technical skill and experience in labor and management are of less importance for Israel than American capital which, he said, is available and should be eagerly welcomed. He stressed that he is very optimistic about the economic future of Israel, if this consideration will be borne in mind by those who formulate the nation’s policy.
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.
