The Denver Jewish news., 1924-10-30
National Community
Chest
RECONCILIATION OF WAR
RELIEF FORCES FOR THE
NATION A l. COMMUNITY
CHEST URGED BY JACOB
BILLIKOPF,
Jewish Telcgrnphic Arency)

New Nork.-Rcmobilzat OF the
forces In American Jewry, which
were so nctIve during the war relief
activities, is urged by jacob BlIlikopf,
former director OF the Ten Million Dol
lar Campaign for the American Jew
ish Relief committee. In answer to the
inquiry OF the Jewish Telcgraphic
Agency concerning the advisability OF
creating n National Community Chest
In the United States.
"In the summer Of 1921 Mr. Bill
kopf said, II made n public statement
strcssins the danger OF permitting the
foreign relief machinery to disIntcgratc tc.
l then expressed the hope that the
human forces which had been built up
into mn agency representing organized
American Jewry should find an outlet
In the creation Of a National chest for
national domestic and foreign philan-
thropic md cultural activities.
"A keen interest In this proposal was
displayed throughout the country by
men and women Of the regional, state
and local committees who engaged In
the burden Of raising the sixty million
dollars which American Jewry had
contributed for war relief.
Viewed from one angle n national
chest is desirable in order to eliminate
waste, the enormous waste of energy,
goodwill and money arising from our
present vnorganizcd state, which nee
essltatcs each institution making its
own appeals, sending out its own solici-
tors. conducting its own campaigns.
and making annual collections Of mem
bership dues. There are institutions
in this country that are compelled to
spend anywhere from % to 30 per cent
of the money they raise in that opera
ton alone venture the opinion that
the money so wasted would adequately
support one or two institutions at pres
ent languishing for lack Of mesns.
Viewed from another angle the
value Of n national chest lies in that It
permits American JcwrT to vizualize,
as whole, the problems which con-
front it and meets adequately the need
for disseminating knowledge concern
ing the various institutions and move
ments which are to be included In such
n chest.
"Of course educational activities
must be included in the national chest.
The necessity for the inclusion of edu-
cational activities is enhanced by the
recent enactment of the immigration
bill. Our future status in this cOun-
try depends in large degree upon the
manner In which we cope with this
problem. The conviction has been
borne in upon the thinking Jews in this
country that the strength Of Jewish
character and the promotion Of higher
civic values do not depend entirely
upon how generously we care for our
poor, our sick, our orphaned, and our
handicapped, The inclusion Of educa-
tional activities would give a tremend
Gus impetus to the various communi-
ties in the country to reach larger
number of boys and girls in need Of
Jewish education. The Talmud Tor
abs and Sunday school would be
placed on higher level Of efficiency,
edagogically and Enthusiastically.
tla% xr-lt -t.I, vn1 r.,
Board is doing so splcndidly in the
field of creating Jewish centers, the
proposed organization may accomplish
in the direction Of promoting more up
to-date Hebrew schools.
THE program of activities to be in
cluded in the national chest must repre-
sent diversified aspects OF Jewish life
so that it may become comprehensive
enough to afford every Jew an oppor-
tunity to discharge his communal re-
sponsibilities. There are precedents
| for such an all-embracing program
the Federations in New York; Chicago,
Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia
include Talmud Torahs and hospitals.
And, if it has proved practicable in
these cities mentioned. why should it
not he feasible from the purely tech
nical point Of view, in national or
ganization, without interfering with
the autonomy of constituent organiza-
tions?
"If these facts concerning the des-
perate difficulties Of philanthropic and
educational agencies in raising their
funds are put before American Jewry
in comprehensive and consecutive
manner by an agency such as is contem-
plated in the rehabilitation of the re-
lief forces it should be relatively sim
| pie to raise Mt least several times as
much as the total of the present joint
budgets of these and other meritorious
| institutions. Indeed, with the expert
cnce of every Federation in America
as criterion, it is safe to say that