U.J.A. Inaugural Conference to Discuss Jewish Refugee Crisis in Egypt

The United Jewish Appeal is being presented with its “most challenging emergency since 1948,” Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, executive vice chairman of the UJA, declared today upon his arrival in Miami to attend the UJA’s two-day National Inaugural Conference, which opens tomorrow.

“The emergency will reach a high water mark between now and the end of March because it is expected that in addition to the 11,000 foreign, stateless and native Jews who have already been driven out of Egypt, a large number of the remaining 50,000 may be forced to leave at that time,” Rabbi Friedman said. “These new Jewish refugees will need immediate aid along with the 17,000 Jews who have fled Hungary and the thousands of others who continue to come out of eastern Europe and North Africa.” he declared.

“The need for UJA to provide immediate relief of the pitiful plight of thousands of Hungarian and Egyptian Jewish refugees patiently sitting in reception centers in Europe is placing an almost intolerable burden on the philanthropic organization’s finances,” Rabbi Friedman reported. “It is costing the Joint Distribution Committee, which is one of the agencies which receives its funds from the United Jewish Appeal, almost a half-a-million dollars a month for the maintenance and care of the Hungarian refugees in Austria alone.”

At the same time, the tide of new Jewish refugees reaching Israel is swelling daily, the UJA’s executive vice chairman noted, and is “stretching the tiny Middle Eastern democracy’s resources to the breaking point.” To meet the critical situation before the end of March, Rabbi Friedman said, it is hoped that the National Inaugural Conference will initiate quick action by communities all over the United States in support of the $100,000,000 Emergency Rescue Fund.