Contributions of $324,000 Are Reported at First Rally In Eastern European Appeal
Children Give $152 Saving
Shuberts add $50,000, Untermyer $30,000 and Stauer $15,000 -Catholic Pastor donates $50
New contributions of $324,000 were announced yesterday at the first rally and reporting meeting, held in the Hotel Biltmore, in the United Jewish Campaign to raise $6,000,000 in Greater New York towards a $15,000,000 national fund to relieve the millions of Jews who are suffering from famine, disease and unemployment in Eastern Europe. The total now subscribed is $3,035,000, it was announced. The drive will continue until May 10th.
Among the large subscriptions announced yesteray were $50,000 from the Shuberts, theatrical managers; $30,000 from Samuel Untermyer, $15,000 from Max D. Stauer, $15,000 from Nathan J, Miller, $10,000 dollars from Mr. and Mrs. Jerome J. Hanover, $7,500 from Eli Winkler, $6,000 from David A. Ansbacher, $1,000 from Mrs. Carl Pforzheimer and $1,165 from the Women’s Town Club through Mrs. Ernest Grunsfeld.
The Brooklyn section of the campaign reported total subscriptions of $425,000 toward their $1,200,000 quota. The women’s division announced new subscriptions of $24,000 , making $274,000 toward their $500,000 quota. The Far Rockaway section reported a total of $125,000 exceeding their original $100,000 quota, which now has increased to $150,000.
Children raise $152.25
David M. Bressler, Vice Chairman for New York, who assumed active leadership of the campaign in the absence of William Fox, Chairman, after Mr. Fox was called to California by his motion picture interests, presided at at yesterday’s rally. He announced that one of the finest contributions to the campaign was $152.25 he had received from the children of the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, which had a quota of $110.
Mr. Bressner read a letter from Dr. Leon W. Goldrich, director of the institution, who said: “Two weeks ago we fixed a quota for each cottage at the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society. Knowing the financial limitations of our own dependent boys and girls, we felt that the children would be making a very great personal sacrifice if we fixed each cottage quota as high as $10 because this sum would have been donated in nickels and dimes.
“I am pleased to state that today , after the final reports were made by the children we found that each of our eleven cottage of boys and girls had exceeded its original quota of $10 and that some cottages almost doubled their original quota.”
Edmund and Natalie Lipsky, children of Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lipsky of 1469 President Street, Brooklyn, sent $7.35, representing earnings for doing errands for their parents.
A gift of $25 from Mrs. Henry Bodenheimer, it was announced, represented the proceeds from the sale of metal and several watches which she had melt down to aid in the campaign.
Several gifts from non-Jews were reported. These included a check for $50 from the Rev. John C. York of Saint Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn. With the check Father York sent a letter saying he was glad to do all in his power to further the humanitarian purpose of the campaign.
Rabbi Krass Speaks
Dr, Nathan Krass, rabbi of Temple Emmanu-El in an address at the rally said:
“When a man or a woman is enthusiastic in the fullest sense of the term, they would die for a cause if necessary. We do not ask you to die. We ask you to live and to live so that your efforts will be indicative of the firmness of your own faith in this great cause.
“Those of you who are going to visit the Orthodox Jews, tell them that $18 will save one life, and that the word eighteen in Hebrew is “chai,” which means ’18’ and it also means ‘life.’ If you talk to them in this language, you will probably be able to reach them.”
Mrs. Abraham I. Elkus, chairman of the women’s division, said:
“Every woman who is registered is working. Our daily trouble is that we haven’t quite enough women working.
“Our duty is to give every woman in New York the privilege of helping. As I wrote to one woman, ‘It is hard enough for the people in Europe to have to go on a bread line, but the saddest thing, the most horrible thing, is to go on a bread line and find that there is no bread.
“That is what we have to bring forward in this campaign. That if we don’t give the money there is not even going to be bread on the bread line. And there are not going to be tools for the workmen, and there is not going to be any license paid and any chance for them to work.”
Theatrical Group Formed
All branches of the theatrical business were represented at a luncheon in the Biltmore yesterday, at which the theatrical division was organized. Louis Marshall, the principal speaker, said that the Jews of America constituted one- quarter of the Jews of the world, and possessed practically all of the Jewish wealth of the world.
“We are now called upon to help one-half of all the Jews on the face of the globe.” Mr. Marshall continued. “We are called upon to help a people who have put up a valiant battle against the current that is dragging them down. They have struggled as no people have ever struggled and today they are facing the blackest tragedy that has ever confronted any human group.
“I firmly believe that when the national debt question is settled and Europe can begin to function normally, that the Jewish situation will improve. But, in the meanwhile, not only in Poland, in Russia and Bessarabia, but also in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, and every other country in Eastern Europe, death stalks in every Jewish home. We must help them to bridge over this terrible period. The star of hope to which their eyes are strained is right here in America. It is the promise of this campaign, let us not let this star wane on the horizon.
“I’d rather go down to death with the starving Jews of Poland than live with men of affluence whose hearts are so cruel that they will not give help to others.”
Source:
New York Times
April 28, 1926