Jews Gave America Community Chest Idea, Iowa Governor States

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Governor John J. Hammill of Iowa, in an address at the opening session of the National Conference of Jewish Social Service here today gave credit to the Jews of America for the development of the Community Chest idea in financing and administering philanthropic work.

Jewish Federations, according to Governor Hammill, have been organized in the largest centers of Jewish population for the coordinated control of social service agencies and their experience has met with such success that general communities have followed their example and have thereby avoided much overlapping of activity while at the same time saving measurably in overhead costs.

“The Jews of American have combined efficiency and sentiment to the advantage of both,” declared Governor Hammill. “Numbering some 4,000,000 souls in this country the Jews spend $40,000,000 annually for organized philanthropic work of various kinds. Of this sum the Jewish Federations spend upwards of $20,000,000 annually, $12,000,000 of this sum being raised through direct appeals from the general Jewish public. An additional $15,000,000 is raised for foreign relief work, Palestinian work and other service by unaffiliated agencies. Jewish social service has taken the lead in the United States in immigration work. From the very earliest immigration rush in the ’80s to the present time, the Educational Alliance of New York and the Jewish Settlement of Cincinnati have been doing this type of work along with scores of similar agencies. As a fellow American and as Governor of the Commonwealth of Iowa, I welcome the representatives of the 220 organizations for the social good here assembled,” he declared.

William J. Shroder of Cincinnati, president of the Conference, presented the annual report reviewing the year’s work.

Jewish agencies should examine their functions continuously in order to determine which of their activities are justified as separate activities and which may definitely be transferred to general communal agencies, according to Harry L. Lurie, superintendent of the Jewish Social Service Bureau of Chicago, who presented a paper on the Character of Relationships of Jewish Agencies with Public or Non-Sectarian Agencies in the Field of Family Welfare.

The executive committees of the Seaboard region of the United Palestine Appeal, and the Middle Atlantic States Zionist Federation held a joint committee meeting in Washington yesterday.

Sir Elfred T. Davies addressed the meeting in the Jewish Community Center.