Page Twenty
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, February 15, 1946
Stirring Pleas Spur UJA $103,000,000 Drive
Jewish Appeal's 11 Major
Needs Viewed at Rally Here
Ivirs. Levy, Prof. Haber and Dr. Heller Head List of Speakers
With Latest, First Hand Reports of Jewish Survivors
and the Need for Their Immediate Rehabilitation
American Jewry's determination to unite for the relief
and rehabilitation of the survivors, through the. national
United Jewish Appeal for $103,000,000; to provide for the
settlement of as many as possible in Palestine and to assist
in bringing refugees to this country, was echoed in the
stirring addresses of three spokesmen for the UJA causes,
at the public rally at Temple
Beth El last Saturday night.
First Postwar Assembly
This meeting, held in conjunc-
tion with the first post war as-
sembly of the Council of Feder-
ations and Welfare Funds, was
addressed by spokesmen for the
three UJA agencies: Mrs. David
M. (Adele Rosenwald) Levy,
chairman of the women's division
of the UJA and a member of the
executive committee of the Joint
Distribution Committee; Prof.
William Haber of the department
of economics of the University
of Michigan, executive director
of National Refugee Service from
1939 to 1941; and Dr. James G.
Heller, retiring chairman of the
United Jewish Appeal.
Dr. B. Benedict Glazer, who
gave the invocation, set the tone
for the gathering with his in-
spiring prayer.
Greeted by Friedman
Judge William Friedman, pre-
sident of the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit, in a mes-
sage of greeting, prior to intro-
ducing Stanley Myers of Miami,
Fla., incoming president of the
Council of Federations, as chair-
man of the evening, welcomed
the assembly delegates and ex-
pressed the hope that the
convention will be marked by a
spirit of harmony, that the issue
of budgeting will be postponed,
but that if it must be debated
that it should not disrupt unity.
The speakers, in their ad-
dresses, collectively pointed to
the major 11 needs to be provided
for by UJA:
1. To provide relief . for the
remaining 300,000 Jews in
France, Holland, Belgium and
Italy, among them 22,000 child-
ren;
2. Supplementary aid for
80,000 in displaced persons'
camps;
3. Emergency relief for 80,000
survivors of the 3,500,000
Polish Jews and the 700,000
Jews left in Romania, Bulgaria,
Hungary and Czechoslovakia;
4. Emigration aid for dis-
placed Jews;
5. Care for newcomers to
Palestine;
6. Acquisition of new land in
4
Palestine;
7. Establishment of 14 new
rural villages in Palestine;
8. Development of trade and
industry in Palestine;
9. Maintenance of newcomers
to U. S. under President Tru-
man's directive;
10. Resettlement of newcom-
ers to U. S.;
11. Helping Americans find
their kin overseas.
All the speakers joined in an
urgent plea to American Jewry to
unite under the banner of the
$103,000,000 UJA drive.
Greatest Challenge
"The United Jewish Appeal for
1946 is the greatest challenge the
Jews in the U. S. have faced,"
Rabbi Heller said. "It constitutes
the presentation to them of an
issue of life and death for hun-
dreds of thousands of their
brethren."
Mrs. Levy, who recently re-
turned from a tour of children's
camps and training homes in
France, Belgium and Holland,
described conditions there, told
of the needs for rebuilding the
lives of the children and out-
lined the need for raising the
sum of $58,350,000, as part of the
$103,000,000 goal, to provide for
..TDC's needs.
Rescue 150,000 Children
The major responsibility, Mrs.
Levy pointed out, is to rescue the
150,000 children who are the only
ones of the 1,500,000 Jewish
children of the pre-war era to
survive Hitlerism.
Mrs. Levy reported that 5,000
Jews who recently have returned
from concentration camps are re-
ceiving aid through 12 hostels
established in Paris and feeding
stations in other parts of France.
Declaring that the most thrill-
ing experience she had was dur-
ing her visit in the Hachsharas,
the training camps for youths
preparing for settlement in Pal-
estine, Mrs. Levy stated:
."The most hopeful groups of
young boys and girls are those
who are being trained for work
on the land in Palestine in the
Hachshara camps maintained
with the funds contributed to the
United Jewish Appeal. These
youngsters are full of hope and
vitality. They have a strong
sense of discipline and a deep
feeling of dedication to their
future life in pioneering in Pal-
estine. It was only in these
camps that the youngsters sang
and danced.
Visited Scout Centers
"I also visited the Jewish scout
centers in Toulouse. During the
war 300 scout leaders in the or-
ganization known as Eclaireurs
Israelites de France carried on
underground rescue activities to
save Jewish children from Nazi
deportation. One hundred scouts
were killed by the Nazis, but not
one Jewish child was hurt or lost.
"We in America are not aware
of the valor, the courage and the
heroism of the young men and
women•in Europe, many of whom
gave their lives to save the pre-
cious remnant of the younger
generation.
"The great majority of the
80,000 displaced Jews in Ger-
many and Austria who were
deported to the concentration
camps from Poland and other
parts of Eastern Europe are
awaiting the day when they can
go home—not to Poland, but to
Palestine," Mrs. Levy declared.
"For it is Palestine that most of
them regard as home." .
JDC Pays Passage
The Joint Distribution Com-
mittee has paid the passage for
most of those who were provided
immigration certificates and who
were able to leave the displaced
persons centers for Palestine,
Mrs. Levy said, and this agency
now stands ready to assist all
who can emigrate to whatever
country they wish to go to—
Palestine, or the United States, or
to other havens that may become
available.
She underscored the fact that
"a very great responsibility rests
on the governments of the
world" to find a solution for the
plight of the displaced Jews now
in Germany, Austria and North-
ern Italy, but that until this is
done, American Jews must exert
every possible effort to help them
through the $103,000,000 United
Jewish Appeal campaign.
Fare Worse Than DPs
The condition of the surviving
700,000 Jews in Romania, Bul-
garia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia
and Poland, is far worse than that
of the Jews in the displaced per-
sons centers, Mrs. Levy reported.
"In some European lands—in
Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria—
the JDC and the JDC alone
stands between life and death for
most Jews. No government as-
sistance is forthcoming to these
Jews. No allied army is provid-
ing them rations, meager as those
rations might be.
"No UNRRA aid has reached
these three countries since they
are ex-enemy lands and have not
been eligible for UNRRA aid. In
fact, 75 per cent of the Jews of
Europe today are in areas that do
not get UNRRA aid," Mrs. Levy
stated.
Favorable Influence
Successful liquidation of the
Oswego Refugee helter is but the
forerunner of greater and more
important tasks for the national
refugee assistance program cen-
tering around the National Re-
fugee Service in the U. S., it was
declared by Dr. Haber, who
stated:
"Because of our world leader-
ship, a hospitable American im-
migration policy can exercise a
great favorable influence on
other countries, including Pales-
tine. President Truman's recent
directive on refugee immigra-
tion has reaffirmed the American
tradition of asylum for the op-
pressed.
"The fullest implementation of
the President's directive depends
on the continued smooth and
speedy adjustment of the refugee
immigrant. This is the responsi-
bility of their American relatives
and friends, of the communities
where they settle, and of the
national pr o g r am centering
around the National Refugee
Service.
Adjustment of Refugees
"The National Refugee Service
is the one agency which provides
a complete and coordinated ser-
vice for the adjustment of
refugees. Its work begins while
the prospective immigrant is still
overseas, and continues until he
has become a well-integrated
member of the American com-
munity. Only such a well-
rounded program can perform
all the tasks entailed under Pre-
sident Truman's directive."
The project for the liquidation
of the Oswego refugee shelter
provided "a dress rehearsal" for
these tasks, Dr. Haber said. Na-
tional Refugee Service was able
to carry put this project, due to
the cooperation of local refugee
aid committees all over the
country. It also had fine coopera-
tion from the American Christian
Committee for Refugees and the
Catholic Committee for Refugees,
and the National Coundil of
Jewish Women provided -excel-
lent profesSional assistance.
Emptied in 3 Weeks
Dr. Haber pointed out that
within 10 days after the NRS
social service staff reached the
Oswego Refugee Shelter, the
first group of refugees departed,
and the last resident left less
than three weeks later.
"In one month the resettlement
program had distributed the 924
Oswego residents from coast to
coast in 65 cities and towns in 19
states," Dr. Haber said.
The highlight of the rally was
Dr. Heller's poetic description of
Palestine's place in the Jewish
reconstruction program.
Relating his recent visit to
Palestine, Dr. Heller described
the needs of the United Palestine
Appeal and said that American
Jews have the obligation this
year of providing the sum of
$43,872,000 for the upbuilding and
refugee settlement program in
Palestine of the United Palestine
Appeal through the unified drive
of the $103,000,000 United Jewish
Appeal.
Unqualified Success
Characterizing the upbuilding
of the Jewish homeland in Pales-
tine as "an unqualified success",
he said that there were today in
Palestine some 630,000 Jews
"alive by reason of being there,
happy, self-supporting and firmly
established in the country."
Rabbi Heller who visited Pal-
estine several months ago to
study its needs and to look into
the possibilities for large-scale
Jewish settlement in the im-
mediate future, observed that
there is abundant space for more
Jewish immigrants and that the
whole Palestinian Jewish com-
munity is eager to bring in more
and more homeless Jews and is
wiling to make any sacrifice
towards that end.
Central Convictions
"From Palestine last summer I
National Budgeting Plan
Rejected by 264-53 Vote
Heated Debate Marks Arguments on Proposal Which Has
Aroused Nationwide Jewish Controversy; Prominent
Leaders Participate in the Discussions
The proposal for national advisory budgeting was de-
cisively defeated at the assembly of the Council of Jewish
Federations and Welfare Funds here, in session on Sun-
day afternoon at Hotel Statler.
. After heated debate in which Jewish leaders from every
section of the land participated, the final vote against the
proposal was 264 1/4 to 531/4.
Of the 11 Detroit delegates, six efit but if it is undesirable it
voted against the proposal, four will fall by its own weight.
voted in its favor and one re-
The Opposing Voice
frained from voting.
The strong and winning argu-
It wa-s evident from the very ment against budgeting was pre-
beginning that this proposal was sented by Isaac S. Heller of New
doomed to defeat, and an attempt Orleans. -Mr. Heller contended
was made to defer action upon that the proposal is a disservice
it to a later date. But the motion not only to the communities but
of Judge Bernon of Cleveland to also to the Council of Federations.
defer action also was defeated, by He warned that any decisions as
a vote of 212 to 1001/2. Detroit to quotas and evaluations would
delegation's vote was eight bring upon the Council of Fed-
against deferring and three to erations "the resentment of its
defer.
adherents."
Affirmative Argument
Mr. Heller pointed out that it
The motion and the argument would be difficult if not impossi-
for advisory budgeting were ble to find a suitable committee
made by Jacob Blaustein of Bal- to deal with budgeting. "No mat-
timore. Mr. Blaustein pointed out ter what the composition of the
that no local community can in- committee, no matter how impar-
dependently undertake to do the tial its members would be, it
work of providing data for fair would constantly face the charge
and equitable decisions with re- of being unrepresentative, weigh-
spect to the more than 125 agen- ted, hand-picked and subjective,"
cies appealing to it for support. he declared.
He stated that "to get this data,
The Debaters
to appraise and correlate it, takes
Twelve national leaders par-
more time, staff and facilities
ticipated in the debate in equal
than are at the disposal of any
numbers for and against.
one community." He especially
Those who supported the pro-
pointed to the pressure that is
exerted upon communities to. se- posal included Samuel Gerson of
St. Louis, Julian H. Krolik of De-
cure allocations.
troit, Sidney Hollander of Balti-
Mr. Blaustein urged that na-
more, Donald Oberdorfer of At-
tional advisory budgeting be giv-
lanta, Ben Sadowski of .Toronto
en a three-year trial. He said that
and Sol Brackman of Fort Worth.
if it proves desirable all will ben-
Opponents who argued their
viewpoints were Ezra Shapiro of
brought back these central con- Cleveland, Harold Goldenberg of
victions:
Minneapolis, Dr. James G. Hel-
"First, a pride in my brothers ler of Cincinnati, Charles Brown
and in their capacity for rebirth; of Los Angeles, Mrs. Moses Ep-
"Second, that what they have stein of New York and Henry
Monsky of Omaha.
erected is built upon a rock;
Mrs. Epstein's appeal to the
"Third, that no political con-
fusion will in the • end prevent delegates to oppose national bud-
geting vvas especially effective,
them from succeeding;
"Fourth, that all European and her viewpoint was strongly
Jews who can be transferred endorsed by Mr. Monsky.
A Variety of Opponents
must be brought to Palestine."
Rabbi Heller declared that the
There was no doubt, at any
Jews who are still alive in time during the discussions that
Europe can look to no others but the proposal was foreshadowed
the Jews of the United States for to defeat, but even the most op-
survival. He said: "The United timistic opponents were sur-
Jewish Appeal for 1946 is the prised by the overwhelming vote
greatest challenge the Jews of against Mr. Blatistein's motion.
the U. S. have faced. It consti-
The strong 'opposition to the
tutes the presentation to them of proposal by New York and other
an issue of life or death for hun- communities' Federations' spokes-
dreds of thousands of their men showed that the opposition
brethren. At long last, after years was not limited to Zionists, as
of impotence, the way is open to had been charged heretofore, but
bring help to the survivors."
that many. welfare fund leaders
Role of Palestine
similarly disapproved of the idea.
In describing the role of Pal-
estine in the revival of surviving
Jews in Europe, Rabbi Heller
said:
"I assert that Palestine has
been the best investment of
American Jewish capital. We
have helped establish there a
strong and creative community,
FRANKFURT (JTA)—Ar-
which, in the end, will give much rangements are being completed
more than it has received. And in Frankfurt for 500 Jewish
all this has been done without students from Europe to enter
injustices to the Arabs, and universities in the U. S., on tem-
against great obstacles a n d porary student visas.
hardships.
The .students will be selected
Palestine is today the potential from thousands of young men
foundation for a great edifice. and women who have no oppor-
This is the year of greatest need, tunity at present to continue
of rapidly increase financial ob- their education. The majority
ligation. This obligation is not to will be recruited from France,
support those in Palestine, but to Belgium, Holland and Czecho-
enable that community to bring slovakia, with some coming from
in more and more of their the displaced persons camps in
brothers from Europe.
Germany.
In the U. S., the students will
"It is safe to predict that,
whatever the eventual political be cared for by the Hillel Foun-
fate of Palestine, a considerable dation.
Upon completion of their
number of Jews will be per-
mitted to enter during this year, studies, the students will return
that it will be impossible to deny to Europe, or apply for entry
the tragic pressure of the into Palestine, where the ma-
jority desire to settle.
survivors."
500 Jewish Students
From Europe Will
Enter U.S. Colleges