So. African Jewish Groups Define Policy on Fund-raising Appeals

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies and the South African Zionist Federation today issued a statement bringing to the attention of Jewish organizations in other countries conditions governing fund-raising appeals in South African Jewry. The statement reads:

“For many years the South African Jewish Community has realized the necessity for regulating fund-raising and it is now the accepted practice that in alternate years there are campaigns for the Israeli United Appeal and the United Communal Fund for South African Jewry.

“All appeals for overseas causes must be approved by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies or the South African Zionist Federation. Unauthorized appeals can prejudice the two basic united campaigns.

“We have learned that several unauthorized appeals for various overseas causes are being made at present to the Jewish community in this country. We wish to stress that these appeals have not the approval of the Zionist Federation of the Board of Deputies and we urge the public to assist our efforts to regulate fundraising by giving their support only to authorized appeals.

“The Board of Deputies and the Zionist Federation once again emphasize that applications to conduct campaigns for overseas purposes should be submitted before the representatives of institutions arrive in this country.”

On some occasions, overseas organizations, disregarding this procedure of getting advance authorization for fund-raising appeals, have sent emissaries on fund-raising missions, the emissary then taking up the line: “I am sorry, we did not consult before coming out, but now that I am here, I can not return without fulfilling my mission.” The S.A. Jewish Board of Deputies and the S.A. Zionist Federation have nonetheless felt compelled to make it clear that these emissaries do not have the requisite communal authorization and their missions have, therefore, been a failure.