Many Cities Set to Open Drives for Reich Jews

Hundreds of American Jewish communities are actively preparing for early participation in the nation-wide effort of the United Jewish Appeal to raise $3,250,000 this year for the relief and rehabilitation of the Jews of Germany and other lands and the settlement of Jews in Palestine, it was announced yesterday by Felix M. Warburg, national chairman.

Among the major cities planning early fund-raising efforts in behalf of the Appeal, many of them next month, are New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Minneapolis, St. Paul, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D. C., the announcement stated.

SOME DRIVES OVER

Campaigns have recently been completed in Buffalo, New Orleans, Olean, N. Y.; Montgomery, Ala.; Atlantic City, Trenton, Galveston, Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa and Canton, Ohio.

Reports from field men who are covering the country indicate, Mr. Warburg stated, that in addition to the Jewish communities where plans are under way for early response to the United Jewish Appeal, hundreds of smaller cities in New England, the Middle West, the South and the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast sections are rapidly swinging into line.

REACTION SWIFT

“The quick response to this humanitarian effort by so many Jewish communities is very gratifying to the officers of the United Jewish Appeal,” Mr. Warburg stated. “It indicates that they are thoroughly aroused to the need for speedy aid to the thousands of Jews who have been destituted, and the many additional thousands whose means of livelihood are being destroyed in Germany by the present political situation in that country. The Jews of America, it is becoming apparent to us, feel more keenly than ever that it is upon them that the fate of our people in that country depends. They are indicating, by their prompt organization of so many local campaigns to raise funds for the United Jewish Appeal that upon them depends also the fate of the vast number of economically stricken Jews in many other European countries and that they are determined not to fail them. They are demonstrating, too, that they are anxious to solve the plight of the thousands of refugees from Germany and to enable as many of them as possible to re-establish themselves in other countries and in Palestine.”

BOSTON DRIVE OPENED

One of the earliest major city campaigns, that of Boston began on Sunday night, with William Rosenwald, younger son of the late Julius Rosenwald, and Edward M. M. Warburg as the principal speakers.

Popular judgment of American Jewry is influenced by the status of Jews in other countries, declared Mr. Rosenwald, one of the co-chairmen of the United. Jewish Appeal, at the dinner in Boston at the Hotel Somerset which launched an effort by the Jews of Boston to raise $100,000 toward the Appeal quota. The Boston campaign is sponsored by Louis E. Kirstein, as honorary chairman, and J. J. Kaplan as chairman.

CITES “SHIRT” GROUPS HERE

An indicative of the need of American Jewry to raise the economic status of their co-religionists abroad, Mr. Rosenwald, in his Boston address, said that the situation of the Jews in Europe has decidedly influenced the awareness of the people in the United States. He cited the “shirt” organizations that are endeavoring to engender race hatred in this country. “These, coupled with similar tendencies in Europe and in other parts of the world prove that the Nazi philosophy does not stop at the Rhine,” he declared, adding that “in helping our brothers overseas, we are, at the same time, protecting our own interests.”

But it is not only in Germany alone, Mr. Rosenwald stated, that Jews are suffering. “The map of Jewish misery,” he said, “extended far beyond the borders of the Rhine. It embraces Poland, where 1,000,000 Jews out of 3,000,000 are destitute and another million on the border line of destitution….

“Palestine is the only country to which a Jewish refugee can come without any restrictions or conditions being imposed on him. It is the one country where he is immediately welcomed as a fellow-citizen. Approximately 20,000 German refugees have been admitted here. Plans are being laid to bring in more. Many of these refugees bring some funds with them, but many others require assistance to establish themselves.”