U.J.A. National Conference Opens Today; Will Seek $105, 146,035 for 1956

The sum of $105,146,035 will be sought by the United Jewish Appeal in 1956, it was learned here today on the eve of the opening of the UJA annual national conference. More than 1,200 delegates from all parts of the country will attend the two-day conference at which Golda Myerson, Israel Minister of Labor, will be one of the principal speakers.

The conference will open tomorrow with a report on the 1956 budgetary requirements of the UJA member agencies. These agencies–United Israel Appeal, Joint Distribution Committee and New York Association for New Americans–require a total of $153,146,037 to carry out their programs in the coming year. The difference between the full financial needs and what will be asked by the UJA–$48,000,000–is anticipated from German reparations, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims and other sources.

The 1956 fund-raising effort of the UJA will not be confined just to its regular campaign. It will also include raising of a $25,000,000 Special Fund, over and above the amount expected through the regular UJA. The $25,000,000 Special Fund effort was set in motion on November 18 at an extraordinary meeting of leaders of the American Jewish community. On that occasion they called upon the Jews of America to “provide all the funds for immigration to assure a haven of refuge and safety for Jews who are in need of it, while the people of Israel gird themselves for the arduous tasks that lie ahead.”

In creating the $25,000,000 Special Fund in behalf of 45,000 immigrants to Israel who must be brought speedily from North Africa the leaders of the American Jewish community took cognizance of the fact that the people of Israel cannot be expected to share in emergency immigration, at a time when they are faced with the ominous challenge to their survival posed by the Communist arming of Egypt.

480,000 PERSONS TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM U.J.A. FUNDS

A total of 480,000 persons will receive aid from the U.J.A. member agencies in 1956, it was indicated in a report released here today. The report shows that 305,000 Jews will receive assistance through the United Israel Appeal, 168,000 will be aided by the Joint Distribution Committee–in addition to 45,000 Jewish emigrants from North Africa–and 7,000 will be given aid by the New York Association for New Americans.

The budgetary requirements of the United Israel Appeal for the coming year amount to $123,240,000, the report stated. The requirements of the Joint Distribution Committee total $29,200,000. The New York Association for New American envisages expenditures reaching $706,035. The budgetary requirements of the United Israel Appeal have been approved by the Jewish Agency executive. The JDC total had been voted at the 41st annual meeting of the organization which was held at the Waldorf-Astoria tonight.

The report pointed out that the expenditures that are budgeted by the United Israel Appeal concern not only the immigrants who are now arriving but the many thousands of immigrants who were brought to Israel in recent years and who are still in need of major assistance to assure their genuine integration as productive and self-reliant citizens of the Jewish State. “Major expenditures are also scheduled by the United Israel Appeal for that large number of agricultural settlements that have been established over the past seven and a half years–settlements that have contributed significantly to the advance of Israel’s agriculture and that must be strengthened to make them fully self-supporting units of the Israel economy,” the report said.