Dr. Maurice B. Hexter, executive vice-president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York City, outlined today a program for planning of Jewish health and welfare services in the current decade. He delivered one of the major addresses here at the opening general session of the 30th General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.
The perspectives for Jewish health and welfare planning in the 60’s, said Dr. Hexter, must take into consideration the following postulates.
1. The growing importance of Government at all levels in the area of health and welfare agencies.
2. The increase in the population of the United States from 180,000,000 to 208,000,000.
3. Changes in the working force to include more young workers, women, and mobility of the working family.
4. An estimate that more than two-thirds of the country’s population will be in metropolitan areas, where organized Jewish communal services operate.
With the Jewish Federation’s “status higher than ever before, its achievements greater and its planning role of greater importance,” said the New York executive, the Government’s increasing participation “in no wise diminishes the importance or responsibility of Federation.” He announced that a New York Federation committee studying this problem has recommended establishment of a new department “to deal with the problems and opportunities arising from Government effort in this field.”
Government contributions to Federation agencies are now 18.5 percent of their total budget, contrasted with 17 percent from Federation. But, said Dr. Hexter, there need be no fear of Government’s increasing participation, since the Government respects “the unique interest of sectarian groups” so long as agency leadership remains “identified with the historical stream of Jewish life and values.” Dr. Hexter foresaw also an increasing role of labor unions in the health and welfare field.
SEES SYNAGOGUE, NOT COMMUNAL GROUPS. LIKELY TO DEVELOP EDUCATION
In the field of Jewish education, Dr. Hexter said, “the synagogue is likely to continue, as in the last 40 years, to develop Jewish education. rather than communal organizations.” He told the Assembly:” While a sizeable group of Jews now wish to give their children private education in Jewish schools, these schools seldom enjoy communal support, and the future seems to indicate no increase in this support.”
He reported that the community center movement “is on the rise.” The New York Federation’s current objective in this field includes eleven new buildings, and eight additions to existing buildings. In other Jewish communities, he said, 38 centers are projected.
“The challenge of the 1960’s,” he declared, “is to recapture the interest of the young adult groups; to foresee increasing use as family centers, with improved provisions for adult education; to find for their staffs qualified, Jewish-oriented workers to head major departments.” He added: “They will have to become even more aggressively Jewish, to retain the interest of the Jewish community.” He predicted also an increase in day camping.
STRESSES DEMAND FOR HIGHLY SKILLED JEWISH SOCIAL WORKERS
Dr. Hexter warned that “some complications befog” the look into the near future. Clarification, he said, is needed in the field of psychiatric service, and “it must be determined whether these services belong to the hospital or child and family service agencies.” Some of the specialization, such as childcare, family service and vocational service, may have to be re-examined with a view to “closer relationship among these areas.”
“I believe,” he said, “we shall revive the general practitioner in case work. Since highly skilled social workers are so much in demand, perhaps the future will find ways to keep these people in the agencies which have trained them.”
“There is a growing trend,” he said, “on the part of philanthropic organizations to become broad communal services, open to all groups–all the more since public welfare is assuming important responsibility for the indigent group.”
In regard to care of the aged, Dr. Hexter said, “the problem is staggering, as demographic studies indicate, with the increase in the aged population.” The need, he added, is for an integrated program for the aged. The New York Federation Building Fund, he reported, has recommended a budget of $23,000,000 in this area, next in size only to the amount earmarked for hospitals and medical care.
In the area of hospitals and medical care, he said, there will be increased attention to chronic disease, and there will be a higher incidence of long-term illnesses due to the prolongation of the life span. Predicted population increases, he said, point to the need for a 50 percent increase in the number of physicians, the establishment of 14 to 40 new medical schools, and the need to overcome the shortage of nurses.
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.
