‘new Look’ at Community Responsibilities Seen in C.J.F. W.f. Discussions

Discussions at the General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds have shown that community leaders believe the time has come for a thorough re-examination of community services, Philip Bernstein, CJFWF executive director told the 1,000 delegates at the closing session of the Assembly here. He reviewed the achievement of the four-day gathering of Jewish community leaders from all parts of the United States and Canada.

The discussions of community problems and the projection of planning for the year ahead, he said, stressed re-emphasis and rededication to the basic purposes of cooperative action. They also indicated that this is a time for a new look at responsibilities, priorities and criteria, he added.

“If our purposes are timeless, the needs are vastly different and our services must be vastly different,” he stated. He pointed out that “there is a greater emphasis today than ever before upon the quality of what we do. We recognize that what was good enough last year may not be good enough now.” There was an emphasis also on the quality of the leadership of our communities, Mr. Bernstein declared.

Noting that these emphases applied to the deep concerns evident among community leaders regarding the pressing needs of new immigration and older unmet problems overseas, and the broad scope of responsibilities nationally and locally here at home, Mr. Bernstein pointed to key developments brought to light by the Assembly discussions.

There is a special need for federation leadership and planning for the chronically ill and aged, the Assembly was told. There are long term patients in general hospitals and there are residents in homes for the aged who need not be in these institutions if there were other less expensive resources available–and these resources should be provided. We need to take non-institutional plans and home care programs off the drawing boards and bring them to reality.

EFFECT OF GROWING SUBURBANIZATION ON LOCAL COMMUNITY ISSUES

The growing suburbanization of our cities is bringing about different relationships and closer cooperation between federations and synagogues in some communities. There are common concerns in Jewish education, recreation, personal and family problems, juvenile delinquency, provision of chaplaincy services, social action and community relations. There is developing a joint research to mutual objectives through working together, field by field, and problem by problem.

There is a growing recognition of the great stake of voluntary agencies in the standards and effectiveness of tax-supported governmental programs, because of the interpendence of private and public welfare services, and the responsibility of voluntary agencies for providing leadership and guidance to programs.

Jewish federations increasingly are recognizing this responsibility by setting up committees for year-round attention to public welfare through fact-finding, analysis, formulating recommendations, developing cooperation with non-sectarian bodies and communicating their views to legislators.

EMERGING CHANGES IN FUND-RAISING; FEDERATIONS RE-EXAMINE POLICIES

Turning to the workshop discussions on financing, Mr. Bernstein called attention to the emerging changes in federated fund-raising, building endowment funds and dealing with independent campaigns. Regarding the latter, he said, federations are re-examining clearance procedures to avoid conflicts in timing and re-studying the role of federation leaders in regard to independent campaigns. They are also re-examining their own inclusion policies to help assure that they are reflecting the changing needs and the changing interests of contributors.

The Assembly workshops brought the growing success of federations in adding to endowment funds through bequests, insurance, trusts, life-income contracts and other forms, Mr. Bernstein declared. Such income is planned to help meet current and future needs, emergencies, special research and study programs and capital requirements.

The federated campaigns themselves can give greater stress to “the science of campaigning rather than only the art,” delegates felt, according to Mr. Bernstein. It was suggested, on the basis of scientific studies undertaken by some communities regarding the attitudes, interests and understanding of their contributors, that other communities might profit from such analyses and might undertake them jointly.

MARKED SUCCESS IN BRINGING ‘YOUNG BLOOD’ INTO LEADERSHIP STRESSED

The delegates reported marked success in bringing into community responsibility many young men and women in more than 50 cities, Mr. Bernstein pointed out. The delegates placed emphasis upon the quality of the people being sought for leadership and upon their involvement in a broad range of responsibilities.

“In this, the respective roles of volunteer and professional leadership, were defined as a partnership in which neither substitutes for the other, but rather that communities which have the strongest lay leadership are the communities which have the strongest professional leadership,” the CJFWF executive director stated.