$7, 640, 000 Raised by Chicago Jewish Community; 1962 Drives Continue

The Chicago Jewish community has raised to date $7, 640, 000 towards its 1962 Combined Jewish Appeal campaign and the Jewish Federation drive, it was announced here today in separate communications issued by Leonard Laser, general chairman of the Jewish Federation campaign.

Emphasizing the opportunities for making 1962 one of the most successful of recent years in securing the funds for overseas and local work, Mr. Laser said that as of November 15, the Combined Jewish Appeal has raised $5,790,726, with a good deal of intensive work yet to be done for funds to be secured in the last two weeks of November and all of December, Mortimer B. Harris, Jewish Federation general chairman announced that $1,850,000 had already been secured in direct contributions towards the $2,447,000 goal.

Chicago, it was pointed out in the communications, is different from any other city in the United States because of the unusual methods of financing the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and all its medical and social welfare agencies. Chicago actually engages in two major campaigns–one for the Combined Jewish Appeal and the other for the Jewish Federation deficit.

Mr. Harris stressed that the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago secures only a part–less than one-fourth–of its $6, 000, 000 budget from the Combined Jewish Appeal; about another fourth from the Community Fund of Chicago, with about 10 percent from interest on investment funds; but the balance of $2, 447, 000 must come from direct contributions to the Jewish Federation.

Mr. Harris further pointed out the fact that the total operating budgets of Jewish Federation institutions will amount to $27, 310, 000 and that the $6, 000, 000 to be provided by the Jewish Federation is the most critical portion of that total budget. The Jewish Federation, Mr. Harris stated, must raise another $550, 000 to meet the final deficit in the operating budgets of all Federation agencies before the end of 1962.