The Denver Jewish news., 1919-01-22
Philadelphia Jews Give
5000, 900 For Charity
RECORD BREAKING CAMPAIGN
FOR LOCAL FEDERATION
COMPLETE.

The Federation of Jewish Charities
of Philadelphia has accomplished the
first half of the task it has taken up
on itself. 1t has raised close to nine
hundred thousand dollars with which
to support all the Jewish needy in the
city. As soon as it completed the first
half of its task it Immediately set to
work to accomplish the second half.
which will be to make the slogan n
one hundred per cent. federation no.,
merely n slogan. but an actual real
ity.
Even before the campaign. which
will go down in the history of the
Jews of this city as one of the most
unique as well as one of the most epoch
making. was over a group of commit
tees was set to work to line up the
different Jewish institutions of the
city with the ultimate aim in view
of co-Ordinating and unifying them. so
that the new and rcorganized Fedora.
ZION of Jewish Charities shall really
he the clearing house for all philan-
thrOpic activity in the city.
1t is estimate that there are some.
where between fifty and sixty charf.
table institutions in Philadelphia. The
great majority of them are unknown
to the old leaders of the Federation.
The committees that have been ap-
pointed in the course of the last week
will make n study of each one of these
institutions. They will try TO asccr-
tain which are worthy of the conf
dence and support of the Jewish com
munity and which owe their existence
merely to the fact that here and there
someone wanted to become president
The worthy institutions will he in-
clIded in the new one hundred per
cent. federation. The Jews of Phila-
delphia will he informed of those who
are mere parasites. so that they will
know where not to contribute.
There are number Of outstanding
features that make this drive so nm.
ique. When the Federation finally de
cided to launch this drive. about seven
or eight weeks ago. its membership
numbered less than three thousand.
Today it has close to twenty-five
thousand members. with all the
chances to increase not yet exhausted
In other words the Federation has
changed from being the organ of n few
chartably inclined Jews 70 an institu.
= A.. t..I, IL. 1t
It is today not only the most represent
tative. but also the largest Jewish ill.,
stitrltion in the city.
One of the surprises of The campaign
was the response of the poor people
of the city. The reports of the vari.
Gus captains showed that thousands of
people who barely earn enough to sup.
port their own families willingly con.
tributcd to the Federation. They con
tributcd and thanked for the Oppor
tunity that was given them to he part
of this great movement. This was
especially true in the southern section
of the city. where the Federation idea
is still new and where the Jews arc
least organized. 1t required n house
to house canvass to reach them. Who
ever was reached subscribed. Those
who were not reached are still good
prospects and the Federation will have
to adopt methods by which to reach
them.
More than two hundred boy and girl
members of the Junior Federation of
Jewish Charities visited all the Jew
ish Religious Schools in the city on
Sunday last to solicit now members
for their organization. The member
ship drive was simultaneous with the
campaign for ST5O.OOO. conducted by
the Federation.