City Opens Local Drive for Appeal

Moved by vivid descriptions of the tragic suffering of the Jews in Germany and Eastern Europe, more than 1,000 leading New York Jews, at a dinner held last night at the Hotel Commodore, pledged themselves to support the 1935 United Jewish Appeal of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the American Palestine Campaign.

Spurred by reports telephoned directly to the banquet hall of the Commodore from nine large cities, of campaigns held or planned for this appeal, the guests at the New York dinner assumed the responsibility of raising this city’s $1,250,000 quota of the $3,250,000 fund being sought nationally by the United Jewish Appeal.

DRIVE STARTS TODAY

The Greater New York drive will start officially today under the direction of I. Edwin Goldwasser, Michael Schaap and Nathan Straus, co-chairmen and Maurice Levin, vice-chairman. A city-wide organization including special committees in every borough and trade will conduct the drive. Campaign headquarters have been established at the Hotel Commodore. Paul M. Rosenthal is treasurer of the campaign and Abraham Liebovitv, associate treasurer. Mrs. Richard Percy Limburg, niece of Governor Herbert H. Lehman, will head the woman’s division and Leonard M. Wallstein Jr., the junior division.

During May, seventy local drives will be held throughout the United States for this cause. New York’s is the largest individual campagin.

ROSENWALD PRESIDES

William Rosenwald, son of the late Julius Rosenwald, and one of the national chairmen of the United Jewish Appeal, presided. He introduced Mrs. Roger W. Straus, who served as toastmaster.

Vigorous criticism of those who seek to minimize the seriousness of the present situation of the Jews abroad, was offered by Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, one of the national chairmen of the Appeal. Rabbi Wise recently returned from a visit to Germany.

“You are asked to give, not be-