Jewish communities in 57 cities have raised $43,305,119 for local capital fund developments since 1944, and have announced additional campaigns for $20,541,431, it was reported today by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.
“This means that these Jewish communities will have $63,846,550 for new Jewish buildings, major extensions, and repair,” the report said. “The total is by no means complete. Large sums are being raised by other cities, and even these fifty-seven communities have had independent drives not included in Council data.”
Very little of the money has been spent to date, the report emphasized. Shortage of materials, high current costs, and other obstacles indicate that building will not hit full stride until 1948, or later. Considerable funds will still be raised this year and next for building programs, even though the peak may have passed. A number of communities have found that funds already raised are proving inadequate in the light of current building costs, making supplementary campaigns necessary to carry out original plans.
BALTIMORE, CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH, NEW YORK TO RAISE HALF
Five cities, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York, have conducted united community drives under federation auspices for a multiplicity of functions, including hospitals, aged homes, and group work facilities. They account for $32,200,000 of the $63,846,550.
“Without preparing blue-prints or formulating concrete building plans, the New York Federation asked the community to subscribe $21,000,000,” the report stated. “It has raised $14,000,000 thus far and is planning to raise the balance in 1946 and 1947. Funds are to be allocated by a building fund committee in accordance with a master plan based on total community needs and developed in close consultation with experts in construction and social planning. A similar pattern is being followed by Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.”
Almost half of the $31,646,550 raised or projected by other communities is earmarked for hospital building. Aside from large sums to be spent on hospitals by the cities with joint campaigns, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Providence, Paterson, Montreal, Kansas City and Toronto have undertaken plans for capital expenditures on hospitals.
New Jewish community centers, expansion of existing facilities, or repairs in center and “Y” buildings are being contemplated by at least 32 cities, accounting for almost 30 percent of the total raised or projected for capital purposes by the 57 reporting communities. Twenty-four of the 57 communities have capital projects for synagogues or temples, some of which are to be combined with center facilities. Ten of the communities have had or are planning capital campaigns for aged homes; six cities report building projects for social clubs or lodges. Five plan educational facilities.
BUILDING IS NOT EXPECTED TO START THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF HIGH COST
Communities report that building has not yet begun, with very few exceptions. Small sums have been spent in Elizabeth for a health club department in a “Y” ($10,000) and in Indianapolis for remodelling a camp ($47,000). No difficulties were encountered in securing materials; in Indianapolis, the work was undertaken before current restrictions were imposed.
On the other hand, projects in Atlanta for social clubs are being held in abeyance, after construction had started, because priorities could not be obtained. St. Louis reports “great difficulty” in securing materials for its hospital and group work projects. An aged home for which $75,000 had been raised obtained priorities from the Civilian Production Administration. Here again, however, production has not proceeded because of lack of materials and high current building costs.
Only one hospital is planning to begin construction in the near future. The General Rose Hospital in Denver, a local general hospital for which $750,000 has been raised to date, obtained government authorization and priorities. Ground has been broken and building is expected to begin “in a few months.” Denver also reports that the building of a new aged home is now almost complete.
None of the other 57 communities has made requests for government priorities. Building is not expected to take place for at least a year, and usually longer. In some instances this is because only part of the total sums needed have been collected; in others, because of difficulty in getting materials and high current costs.
Difficulty in obtaining a site is another obstacle. Buffalo has not been able to secure a location for its new community center, toward which $260,000 was pledged in 1945. Savannah is another city seeking a suitable site for its $135,000 center.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
