The Denver Jewish news., 1924-10-16
Jewish Tclcgraphic Agency

conference Of Jewish Social Worker,
held recently M Toronto concerning
The establishment 0f n Jewish Nation
nj Community Chest in the United
States has creatsl great interest in
leading Jewish circles all over the
country.
The following questionable was sent
out by the Jewish Tclegraphic Agency
Conference of Jewish Social Service. a
national chest for national domestic
and foreign charitable activities was
proposed.
Do you consider this plan 10 be de
slrable?
Should educational activities he in
clude,l?
How should the Board he elected?
How should the distribution of the
funds be regulatedy
should Palestine he includel:"
The following replies have been re-
ceived:
From Mr.. Louis Marshall:
You probably know that I have for
some time past been considering the
establishm""' Of n national organiZa-
tion wl"'u rs to deal exclusively with
our edun.-,- and religious problems
and with such organizations as are con-
cerned in cognntc activities. MS. for
example the Jewish Publication So
ciety: the Jewish Chatauqua the Ma
tional Farm School: the Jewish Wei
fare Board; the University at Je-
rusalem the Council of Jewish Women.
SO far MS its educational work is CON
cerned. and, of course, the various
seminaries of higher learning. wheth-
er or not an additional sorgsmxusacn
should he organized to deal with ma
tional domestic and foreign charitable
activities is n question as to which l
have not as Aet reached conclusion.
II am planning to call n conference
some tmr during the coming winter at
which this subject can he thoroughly
discussed by the leaders of Jewish
thought in America. 1t is needless to
say that in order to become effective.
its purpose must he broad and COM
prehensive. 1t must not be n reform.
orthodox or radical movement 1t
must he all inclusive in its scope"
From Mr. Felix NJ. Warburg:
AS l have stated frequently. I
would consider 1t great pity If the
Interest awakened nationwide among
the well.to-do Jews for those who are
not situated as they are were to be
lost in the future and If this selfsac-
rificing. able, voluntary organization.
which has worked. so to speak. with
out cent of expense, were to he per-
mitied 10 disappear. On the other
hand. | do not think that we should
rlI.l into some scheme that is not
thoroughly worked cut beforehand
and would not put us in position to
gauge the size of the enterprise and
of the obligation involved. All the ma
the field to collect funds for different
activities would he only too glad to
leave their arduous tasks TO new
body willing TO guarantee II certain
amount to them and promising them
possible share in larger collections. We
ought to study the situation. We
should he assured of the good will and
practical support OF a large part Of
those who have been interested in tho
different organizations to he benefited
under such "A scheme. / hope that be-
fore these plans are laid before the
public somebody well versed in educn-
tional and philanthropic matters in the
United States will be engaged to make
such survey
From Rabbi Samuel Schulman of
Temple Beth FL, New York; beg to
say that do not consider such plan
esirabe-certainly not for the pres
ent. consider 1t altogether too large
proposition to attempt to unite all tho
various Jcwish philanthropc and so
cial service agencies in this country in
.,ne national Chest, from which would
4 he distributed not only the funds neces'
\ sary for all our own American Jewish
activities. but also for our foreign
charitable activities
This would he carrying the idea OF
Federation of Charities. in itself. for
local purposes excellent, TO an absurd
extreme II would be creating body
which necessarily could not enlist thni
Individual initiative, personal response
bllity and local pride. which are now
the most efficient factors in obtaining