80 Friday, December 14, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
American Jewry Summoned to Double Philanthropic
Aims, With Israel as the Jewish Ethigres' Haven
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
NEW YORK — A new
chapter was written here
last week in the annals of
philanthropic aims and the
human aspects of providing
a haven for the oppressed
and underprivileged.
The annual conference of
the United Jewish Appeal
became the medium for a
new form of solidarity with
the Council of Jewish Fed-
erations with the an-
nouncement that the turbu-
lent times, the challenges
stemming from the cry for
help from more recently op-
pressed Jewish com-
munities, has inspired a
covenant between the CJF
and the UJA for attaining
the means of speeding the
rescue efforts for the
Falashas and emigress from
the Soviet Union, with Is-
rael as the host for the op-
pressed. There was also the
intimation of the possible
need to settle a sizable
number of Iranian Jews in
Israel in the event of their
emigrating and needing
immediate refuge.
The fusion of labors to as-
suye total American Jewish
participation in support of
the rescue activities was
emphasized in the an-
nouncement by the Na-
tional UJA Chairman Irwin
Field of the $600 million
goal for the coming year,
$100 million more than
1979. The endorsement of it
by CJF President Morton
Mandel added emphasis to
the covenant for philan-
thropic action upon which
the fulfillment of assuring
Israel's role as rescuer of the
oppressed is basically de-
pendent.
The UJA conference
rose to new heights in
making Israel the chief
objective in establishing
homes for Jews escaping
from oppression in the
new declarations of
speeding rescue activi-
ties for the Falashas and
in adherence to the basic
principle that emigres
from the USSR are ex-
pected to fulfill the prin-
ciples which helped them
secure their visas to leave
Russia: that their objec-
tive is settlement in Is,
rael.
There was the renewal of
an interpreted policy: that
all who seek visas to leave
1 • •
Russia must be assisted,
that upon arriving in Vie-
nna those with relatives in
the U.S. should be assisted
in going to the U.S., that the
visas for settlement in Is-
rael should be honored in
the fullest.
The new high goal for
philanthropic achieve-
ments and the objectives of
the 1980 United Jewish Ap-
peal were outlined in im-
pressive addresses to the
UJA assemblies by Field.
Setting the tone for the con-
ference, Field declared in a
keynote address:
"We have come a long
way since we first projected
the needs of this campaign
. from dialogue to deci-
sion, from asking to action.
"The needs of the
Jewish Agency, JDC, our
own communities, the
extra challenge of Jewish
migration from places
where Jewish life has no
future. And on top of all
those super issues the
additional challenge of
Project Renewal.
"These issues placed an
imperative on us to mount a
campaign which would
raise $100 million more
Project Renewal Gains Status
from UIA; Detroiters Elected
Project Renewal, given
emphasis as a major need to
be pursued in providing for
the economic and educa-
tional needs of the less
affluent among the Oriental
Jews in Israel, gained added
status in the report submit-
ted to the United Israel Ap-
peal annual meeting held
last Friday morning as a
major session of the UJA
conference submitted by
UIA Executive Vice
President Irving Kessler.
Outlining the growing
trends in providing aid for
some 300,000 Israelis who
came from Arab lands, Kes-
sler joined in appeals for in-
creased participation in
Project Renewal by UJA
supporters.
Sylvia
Hassenfeld
presided at the annual UIA
meeting at which Jerold
Hoffberger was re-elected
president. Detroiter Jane
Sherman was named a
member of the national
executive committee. Paul
Zuckerman was re-elected
co-treasurer and Max M.
Fisher is an honorary
chairman_
Reporting as chairman of
the committee on relations
with the U.S. government,
Raymond 'Epstein em-
phasized the vital assis-
tance thus given and the aid
provided for the settlement
of Russian refugees in Israel
and the U.S.
Hessler stated that the
$2 billion , fund planned
for the rehabilitation of
Israel's slum neighbor-
hoods "will change the
face of Israel and cur
people when successfully
completed.
JEROLD HOFFBERGER
"We are now consulting
with the forest minds in the
world, from academia, con-
struction, business and such
institutions as the World
Bank to develop first a
monitoring and then an
evaluating system which
will have a maximum con-
tinuing impact on our ac-
•
JANE SHERMAN
tivities concerning Project
Renewal," Kessler said.
He said with cooperation
and good-will, we shall ful-
fill our obligations both to
recipient and donor so that
they become confident
partners in building a bet-
ter Jewish state. "We will
proceed through careful
planing, and constant com-
munication, by making cor-
rectidns as we go along, we
shall find the most product-
ive means of completing our
task."
Hoffberger supplemented
Kessler's report with an ap-
peal for increased com-
munal participation in
Project Renewal.
than our 1979 campaign,
the minimum increase re-
quired to meet the basic
needs of our people in 1980.
This is a campaign which
will require a greater shar-
ing of our strengths, our ex-
periences, our hopes, our
aspirations, our commit-
ment to create something
stronger, something richer-
than that which we have
built to date.
"Tonight I am proud to
announce the challenge is
being met. The 1980 cam-
paign has raised, to date,
the largest amount of
money, in the most com-
munities, at the earliest
date, since the 1974 cam-
paign which began im-
mediately following the
Yom Kippur War.
As of Dec. 4," Field said.
"112 communities have
held campaign events.
Their combined results
equal $115 million, $29 mil-
lion more than we raised as
of this date last year."
In addition, Project
Renewal assumed a need
of major importance and
the American Jewish re-
sponsibilities were de-
fined in numerous state-
ments, including those by
Hershel Blumberg, who
was introduced by Field
as the national UJA
chairman-designate to
succeed him in leader-
ship in May, and Dr.
Frank R. Lautenberg,
UJA president.
Jewish Agency and Is-
raeli leaders elaborated on
current needs and appealed
for action in these critical
times for Israel.
Israeli Minister of Indus-
try, Commerce and Tourism
Gideon Patt explained the
current needs and pointed
to the urgency of providing
for the basic social needs in
Israel, thereby assisting in
removing economic obsta-
cles on Israel's road towards
providing for the increasing
number of new settlers from
Russia, Iran and other
countries.
Patt brought with him a
stirring message from Is-
rael Prime Minister
Menahem Begin, who
joined in expressing anxiety
for the safety of the hos-
tages in Iran. He declared in
his message, which was_
handwritten and which was
read to the assembly by
Field:
"Let me assure you that
the government and all
the people of Israel are at
one with the United
States in these days of
anxiety and anguish. We
pray for the safety and
the speedy return of the
hostages who are in the
hands of forces of dark-
ness and reaction.
"We feel deeply for the
great American nation in
its days of travail, for we
have known many such
days when Israelis and Jews
were victims of similar bar-
barism perpetrated by
Khomenini's self-
proclaimed partner Arafat
and his so-called PLO.
Henry Ford II, left, is shown being presented the
United Jewish Appeal Humanitarian Award by Max
M. Fisher, former UJA national chairman.
"Our shrinking free world
signing of an accord. He
said it is certain to come
must stand together; we
for the benefit of the
must help each other to stop
entire area.
the tide of medieval fanati-
cism that is engulfing a vast
area of the globe and mul-
titudes of people.
"We remain confident
that ultimately these forces
of darkness will be defeated
by the enlightened, civilized
nations of the world at
whose head stands the
United States and among
whom Israel is proud to be
included.
"My friend the Minister
for Industry, Commerce
and Tourism, Mr. Gideon
Patt, will present the case
of Israel to you tonight.
We need your maximum
support, especially for
Project Renewal which
will proceed activly and
energetically in the con-
text of the government's
new economic measures.
"I have one appeal to the
great Jewish community of
the United States. Stand
by Israel's just cause and
help us to assure that it pre-
veils for the sake of all the
Jewish people, for the great
values of liberty, of justice
and democracy in which we
believe with all our hearts."
National attention was
drawn to the address by
former Israel Foreign
Minister Moshe Dayan who
said Israel would be pre-
pared to provide some mili-
tary facilities to the United
States in the event of a criti-
cal situation affecting the
Iranian threats, but would
not offer manpower as mili-
tary aid.
Dayan was emphatic in
his declaration that Israel
must withdraw military
forces from the Jordanian
border and he expressed
confidence that the Arab
population in Israel-
administered territory will
have its freedom in the
process of peace negotia-
tions.
While favoring with-
drawal of Isiael troops
from the administered
territory, Dayan was
equally emphatic in his
assertion that settle-
ments are needed and
will be established as de-
fense areas, and that they
will not affect Israel's
friendship with the
Arabs, even if such
friendly relations will not
be marked by immediate
Dayan again pointed to
Jordan as the important
factor in establishing an ac-
cord and enhancing the
peace.
Besides withdrawal of
troops from the border and
thus striving for autonomy
for the Arabs and peaceful
relations, Dayan said that
the two other major Jewish
duties are the cementing of
friendship with the United
States and the assurance of
Jewry's participation in the
great tasks of protecting
and building Israel.
An interesting comment
by Dayan was that all the
prime ministers — he listed
all starting with David
Ben-Gurion — had failed to
approach the need for peace
and refused to yield on the
demand for troop with-
drawal. Only Begin, he said,
commenced this policy lead-
ing to peace.
At the conference
dinner on Dec. 6,
attended by more than
800 leaders from more
than 150 communities,
the first UJA Humanita-
rian Award was pre-
sented to Henry Ford II,
chairman of the board of
the Ford Motor Co.
Presenting the award to
Ford, Max M. Fisher re-
called his many years of
friendship with the Detroit
automobile magnate who
had for years been among
the major contributors to
the UJA on an anmial basis.
Fisher recalled many in-
stances of Ford's courage in
dealing with situations in
the Middle East, his de-
fiance of sponsors of
boycotts of Israel, his
generosity and devotion to
human causes.
Fisher hailed Ford as "a
philanthropic, kind, charit-
able humanitarian."
describing
While
Ford's refusal to suc-
cumb to Arab boycott
pressures, Fisher also
hailed him for efforts to
help alleviate unem-
ployment and urban
crises in Detroit.
In his response, Ford
strongly endorsed the
United Jewish Appeal ob-
jectives.
(Continued on Page 33)