UP FRONT
JWF Seeks $1,000,000
Increase For 1991 Needs
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
he Jewish Welfare
Federation has, for the
first time, announced
a goal for its Allied Jewish
Campaign.
Federation board members
Nov. 2 approved a target of
$28.5 million for the 1991
Campaign. It represents a $1
million increase over 1990.
"We're doing this because
of the critical nature of the
Campaign and Operation
Exodus," Federation Presi-
dent Mark Schlussel told the
board. "It adds urgency at
the front end to where we
are and where we need to
go."
The board heard Robert
Aronson, Allan Nachman
and Larry Jackier explain
the needs for Israel, overseas
and local needs, and an
assessment of Campaign
capacity. Aronson, Federa-
tion executive vice presi-
dent, said the Jewish Agen-
cy budget for resettlement of
Soviet Jews in Israel has
soared from $82 million in
1989 to $461 million in 1990.
Israel expects a 1990 total of
150,000 Soviet emigres and
400,000 in 1991.
Mr. Aronson warned that
Israel will be forced by the
massive aliyah to cut other
social services, Youth
Aliyah, agricultural devel-
opment and Project Renewal
programs in Israel's poorest
neighborhoods. "If we cut
back United Jewish Appeal
contributions (in order to in-
crease resettlement fun-
"It adds urgency at
the front end to
where we are and
where we need to
go."
Mark Schlussel
ding), it would simply offset
and defeat the purpose of
Operation Exodus — we'd
simply be trading dollars,"
Mr. Aronson said.
Mr. Nachman presented a
disturbing picture of local
needs. Local beneficiaries of
the Allied Jewish Campaign
were asked to hold the line
on requests this year be-
cause of Operation Exodus.
A $1 million increase in the
Campaign in 1991 would
represent only $375,000
more for local operating and
capital needs, he said.
"We can't keep the local
agencies flat for two years,"
he said. "But $375,000
means only a 4 percent in-
crease." Mr. Nachman
chairs Federation's culture
and education budgeting
division.
He said Federation's re-
cent task forces on edu-
cation, disabilities and the
elderly indicate the extent of
local needs. "I'm not ad-
vocating a change in the way
we split the money between
local and overseas needs.
But this suggests why we
need more Campaign dollars
and endowments," Mr.
Nachman said.
Mr. Jackier said the local
Operation Exodus campaign
this year "accomplished
something no one expected"
— $21 million. "People re-
spond if Jewish needs are
properly articulated."
But the Campaign is rely-
ing increasingly on fewer,
wealthier donors. In 1988,
65 percent of the Campaign
Artwork from Newsday by Anthony D'Adamo. Copyright* 1990. Newsday. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
total came from donations of
$1,000 or more. In order to
achieve the 1991 goal, Mr.
Jackier said the Campaign
would need 5 to 6 percent in-
creases from all donors.
Michael Maddin expressed
concern about Campaign ex-
pectations in view of the
downturn in the economy
and fewer contributors to the
Campaign. Mr. Jackier said
there was a 5 percent drop in
the number of contributors
between 1988 and 1989, and
less than 17,000 Detroiters
gave to the 1989 Campaign.
Mr. Schlussel said there has
been a 33 percent decline in
the number of contributors
in the last decade. "We have
to start expanding our base
again," he said.
David Mondry, who head-
ed the special Operation Ex-
Continued on Page 24
improve the welfare of abus-
ed children, to safeguard
their rights and to create a
more just and humane
world.
Those interested in par-
ticipating must first com-
plete an official entry form.
To receive the form, write
Jewish Pride and Identity,
1368 44 St. Brooklyn, N.Y.
11219, or call (718) 851-4748.
ROUND UP
Soviet Jews
Receive Torahs
New York (JTA) — The
last time a Torah was
written in the Soviet Union
is beyond living memory,
but Jews from the West,
aware that many Soviet
Jews hunger for their re-
ligious heritage, have taken
advantage of the momentous
changes in the Soviet Union
this year to fill the need.
In May, a group of 400
Skverer Hasidim from
around the world, accom-
panied by Canadian real
estate magnate Albert
Reichmann, brought a Torah
to Moscow for the concluding
writing ceremony, in which
the last page of the Torah is
completed.
The event was held in a
Community Youth League
hall. Another ceremony took
place at Moscow's Choral
Synagogue, to which the
Torah was presented.
The Moscow Jews and
Skverer Hasidim were join-
ed by 200 Jewish children
from Kiev whose trips, like
the Torah, were paid for by
Mr. Reichmann.
In September, another
Torah was brought to the
Soviet Union by the United
Hebrew Congregations of
America. It was accom-
panied by 110 Jews from the
United States, Canada and
Mexico, who were greeted by
some 25,000 Soviet Jews
during their tour of Moscow,
Berdichev, Kiev and Len-
ingrad.
In Leningrad, interest in
the Torah writing was so
successful that two
ceremonies had to be held;
some 7,000 guests were
turned away from the first
service.
Planting Trees
For Children
Jerusalem — Flags of all
the member countries of the
United Nations fluttered in
the breeze following the re-
cent planting of 158 trees by
Jewish and Arab children of
Israel at the Jewish Nation-
al Fund's Jerusalem plan-
ting center.
Children plant trees for children in
Kuwait, Iraq and Japan.
At the event, marking the
World Summit for Children
at the United Nations, each
child planted a tree in honor
of the children of one of the
U.N. member countries as a
gesture of friendship for and
identification with children
of the world.
Pupils from the Gilo Com-
prehensive High School and
a student from a neighbor-
ing Arab village, Beit Saf-
fafa, read a statement in
English, Hebrew and
Arabic. The statement called
on world leaders to mobilize
their efforts and resources to
What's In A
Jewish Name?
The New-York based Jew-
ish Pride and Identity,
Committee for the Fur-
therance of Jewish Identity,
is sponsoring an interna-
tional essay contest on
"What My Jewish Name
Means to Me and The Sur-
vival of the Jewish People."
The contest is open to Jew-
ish boys and girls grades 7-9.
Students in grades 7-9 may
write 250-500 words, and
students in grades 10-12
may write between 500 and
1,000 words. There is a
grand prize of $250, five first
prizes of $100 each and five
second prizes of $50 each.
All entries should be
double-spaced typed or neat-
ly hand printed and must be
postmarked by Jan. 11,
1991. Winners will be an-
nounced May 2.
New Technique
Is A Real Stretch
Israel's Technion Institute
had developed a new device
that allows physicians to
close surgical wounds and
skin defects without the
major surgery required in
conventional procedures.
The device uses skin to
cover margins on either side
of an open wound or other
areas from which the skin
has been removed, or where
there has been skin loss.
After about 20 minutes, the
two skin edges are stretched
until they meet over the
center of the wound, where
they can be sutui-ed together
to hasten healing.
Compiled by
Elizabeth Applebaurn
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
5