New York U. J. A. Opens 1965 Drive with More Than $10, 000, 000 in Gifts

The United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York formally launched its 27th annual campaign tonight with a dinner in the Americana Hotel where more than $10, 000, 000 in contributions was announced by 700 guests. Governor Nelson Rockefeller presented the first Herbert H. Lehman Memorial Award for notable humanitarian achievement to Charles Mayer, a chairman of New York UJA’s Trustees.

The dinner officially began a drive in Greater New York to raise the metropolitan area’s share of the nationwide 1965 UJA goal of $109,400, 000. Presiding over the Inaugural Dinner was Charles C. Bassine, a vice-chairman of New York UJA’s board of directors. The evenings speakers included, in addition to Mr. Rockefeller, Aryeh Pincus, treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel; Monroe Goldwater, president of the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York; Jack D. Weiler, chairman of its Trustees with Mr. Mayer; and Gustave L. Levy, a general chairman of the 1965 campaign.

The award to Mr, Mayer was given “in tribute to his life-long devotion to the highest principles of service to his fellow man, in the tradition so nobly exemplified by our late beloved Herbert H. Lehman,” It is in the form of a bronze medallion bearing a portrait of the late U. S. Senator and Governor of New York, designed by sculptor Murray Hersh.

Also honored at the dinner were the five general chairmen of the 1964 New York UJA campaign — Sol W. Cantor, Sol Kittay, Albert Parker, Lawrence Schacht and M. Peter Schweitzer, who was represented by his brother, William. Three of the recipients–Messrs, Cantor, Parker and Schacht–are again serving as general chairman in 1965, along with Gustave L. Levy and Theodore H, Silbert.