John D. Rockefeller, Jr. contributed $50,000 to the 1927 campaign of the New York Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. Mr. Rockefeller gave a similar amount to the Federation last year.
Announcement of the contribution the largest ever made by a non-Jew to the Federation, was made by Eli H. Bernheim, of the board of trustees.
In a letter to Mr. Bernheim, Mr. Rockefeller said: “Last year you were good enough to accept a contribution of $50,000 which I made to the annual campaign of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropic Societies. I understand that the campaign for the year 1927 is now under way, and while I have not been solicited to make a contribution, I believe so thoroughly in the work your organization is carrying on and particularly in the cooperative spirit which has brought a great group of philanthropies together, that I trust you will allow me to renew my contribution of last year.
“This I venture to suggest, realizing that it takes time to get a federated movement of this kind started and that while ultimately the movement will easily be financed from within, in these early years of its existence, contributions from without may not be unacceptable.”
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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.