Compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff
New Officers Elected To Lead United Jewish Fund
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Pages 1, 6
New officers of the United Jewish Fund for 1957 were elected last Wednesday at the first Directors meeting for 1957.
Directors selected Milton Y. Roberts as President to succeed Morrie W. Douglas, who was lauded for his two years service to the Jewish community.
Elected with Roberts were: Dr. Walter Ornstein, Carl M. Esenoff and Harry Sugarman as Vice-Presidents; Seymour Rabin was re-elected as Secretary; and William Coit will serve another term as Treasurer.
On accepting the leadership of the Jewish community Mr. Roberts stated that he deemed it a privilege and an honor to take the place of Mr. Douglas and the other past presidents who include Judge Jacob Weinberger, Nathan F. Baranov. Eil H. Levenson, Victor Schulman, Murray D. Goodrich and Louis Moorsteen.
He continued, “All of us must recognize that this is a crisis and emergency years in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout the world, and that only we of the American Jewish community can save. This must be in San Diego, and in other cities, the greatest Fund raising year that the Jewish community has ever had.”
“1957,” he said, “will be a combination of 1936, when Jews were being transported to concentration camps and crematories, being deported from many countries in Europe; when Jews were trying to escape; when we did not believe the things we heard; and 1948 when Jews were liberated, wandering through the face of the earth till they found a new life in Israel, in the United States, and in other humanitarian free countries.”
Mr. Roberts has shown great ability in various posts which he has held with the United Jewish Fund. He served as vice-president for the past two years; was a campaign o-chairman in a successful 1952 campaign; and in 1956 was General Campaign Chairman for the most successful campaign since 1947. Much of the campaign technique and method used in 1956, and to be used in 1957, was developed by the Campaign Evaluation and Planning Committee, was headed by him in 1955.
Dr. Ornstein has been a Vice-President of the Fund for one year, and is the President of the Jewish Social Service Agency. He is a 1957 General Campaign Co-chairman. A founder of the New Life Club, Dr. Ornstein served as chairman of the Emigre Committee of the United Jewish Fund for many years, and singly honored by the United Hias Service for his work in aiding the resettlement of immigrants to San Diego.
Vice-President Carl M. Esenoff is recognized as one of San Diego’s outstanding civic, professional and communal leaders. Past President of the Jewish Social Service Agency; the San Diego Community Welfare Council; Federation of Jewish Agencies, he is also one of the founders of the United Jewish Fund and served as General Campaign Chairman in 1953.
Mr. Sugarman, elected to another Vice-President post, was Pace-Setters Chairman in the 1956 campaign.
Mr. Rabin and Mr. Colt have been active in many community programs. Both have served on the Board of the United Jewish Fund for several years, and have worked in leadership capacities in all fund raising campaigns. They have been active in campaigns of the United Success Drive and the Red Cross. Mr. Rabin is an officer of the Jewish Community Center as well. Mr. Colt is a member of the Board of the Jewish Social Service Agency.
Announcement of the election of the Executive Committee will be made at a later date.
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Edmund Herman To Be Installed as President of Weinberger Lodge
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Page 1
The annual Installation Dinner Dance of the Henry Weinberger Lodge will take place at the Mission Valley Country Club on January 19th. Edmund Herman will be installed as President along with fifteen other officers for the 1957 terms. Morrie Douglas, PP, will be Installing Officer.
An outstanding evening has been promised by Arnie Farkas and Sam Bennett, co-chairmen of the event. Cocktails will be served at 6:30, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The installation is at 8:30, followed by dancing until after midnight to the rhythm of “The Smoothies.”
Edmund Herman will be installed as President. Abe Sklar, Sam Bennett and Lou Levitt, respectively, will be the new First, Second and Third Vice Presidents. Larry Rubinstein and Joe Kaplan retian their present positions as Recording and Financial Secretaries. Outgoing President dr. Milton Millman becomes Chaplain, and Howard Harris is the new Warden. Guardian will be Joe Feldman, and Treasurer is Joe Kobernick. Bob Palash, Si Rich, Jack Spatz, Sid Rose, and Herbert Solomon are the new Trustees.
Morrie Douglas will be aided by Harry Wax and Jerry Freedman in the installation. Rabbi Morton J. Cohn will give the Invocation and Rabbi Baruch Stern, the Benediction.
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Leaders To Attend Conference in Frisco
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Pages 1, 3
Seven local communal workers will represent the San Diego Jewish Federation, and the United Jewish Fund at the Regional Conference of the Council of Jewish Federation and Welfare Funds to be held in San Francisco from January 128th to the 20th.
The delegation representing the San Diego Jewish Community will be headed by Eli H. Levenson. Others who will be in attendance are: Mrs. Gabriel Berg, Dr. and Mrs. A.P. Nasatir, Albert A. Hutler, Director of the Federation-Fund, Mrs. David Rubinstein, and Miss Naomi Galezaid, Superintendent of the San Diego Hebrew Home, it was announced by Milton Y. Roberts, newly elected president of the United Jewish Fund.
Samuel A. Goldsmith, Chicago, will keynote the Council’s Assembly with an address on the “American Jewish Community Looks Ahead.” One of the nation’s communal workers, Mr. Goldsmith has more than 40 years of service to the American Jewish Community and is noted for his brilliant understanding of Jewish needs whether they be local or overseas. He has been the executive director of the Federation and Jewish Welfare Fund of Chicago since 1930.
Mr. Levenson, a past president of the region and a national vice president of the Council, heads the very important nominating committee, and is also a member of the resolutions committee for the Conference.
Mr. Berg, a member of the national UJA Women’s Executive Committee, will be the principal speaker on the session of “Women’s Divisions Organizations, PUrpose and Relations to Federations and Welfare Funds.”
Dr. A.P. Nasatir, President of the Local Federation, will act as chairman of the Sunday morning session “Financing Community Responsibilities in 1957.” Mrs. Rubinstein, executive of the Jewish Social Service Agency, will be a panel participant in the session on “Non-institutional Programs for Aging and Chronically Ill.”
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1957 Campaign Chairmen Outline Plans For Drive
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Pages 1, 3
Dr. Walter Ornstein and Victor Schulman, general campaign co-chairmen of the 1957 United Jewish Fund campaign, announced that the local Fund is joining immediately in the nation-wide effort of the United Jewish Appeal to raise a one-hundred million dollar Emergency Rescue Fund in 1957 to cope with the greatest refugee crisis since the Hitler era.
Directors of the Fund, at the January Board Meeting, set a new high goal of $295,000 for the coming campaign. $175,0900 will be for the regular drive for overseas, national and local needs; $120,000 for the Emergency Rescue Fund, Ornstein and Schulman said.
Official opening date of the campaign will be April 1. This has been the date for Fund campaigns in San Diego for the past ten years. It was hoped that the campaign could start during the month of February, but at conferences with the leadership of American Red Cross, whose campaign will be in February-March, and at their request, plans for the campaign were changed to officially open on the regular campaign date of the United Jewish Fund Campaign.
“The United Jewish Fund,” the General Campaign Co-Chairmen stated, “is freezing its regular drive t $175,000, which is the amount raised for that purpose in 1956, even though the needs, on a national and local level are greater, and the highest percentage of the regular fund goes to Israel.”
“But,” they continued, “the Jewish community of San Diego is being asked to raise four times as much as they raised in 1956–for the Emergency Rescue Fund.”
The co-chairmen stressed that the UJA Rescue Drive must raise funds over and above the proceeds secured through the regular United Jewish Fund campaign in behalf of humanitarian services in Israel by a score of other overseas agencies, in the United States and on the local scene. A contribution, at least as large as the regular gift of the 1956 campaign must be made, before an additional contribution can be given to the Rescue Fund.
Workers re urged to immediately volunteer their services for the 1957 campaign by returning the worker’s pledge card which they have received through the mail, to the office of the United Jewish Fund, or by calling BElmont 2-5172 and making known their intentions to serve in this great humanitarian cause.
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Council Speaker
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Page 1
The public is invited to attend an hour-long presentation of color slides and commentary covering his recent trip to the Soviet Union, presented by Richard Moorsteen, former San Diegan, at the Don Room of the El Cortez Hotel on St., Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. Now a specialist in economic research at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, Mr. Moorsteen spent the full 30 days allotted visitors in Russia in visiting the cities of Leningrad, Moscow, Stalingrad, Kiev and Rostov. Mr. Moorsteen was awarded a Carnegie Foundation grant for the purpose of making this trip, after earning his doctorate at Columbia University earlier this year. Mr. Moorsteen took his undergraduate work at Stanford University, earning his B.A. at the age of 18, and also attended Harvard. His parents Mr. and Mrs. Louis Moorsten, reside in San Diego.
Refreshments will be served after Mr. Moorsteen’s presentation and a question-and-answer period. There will be an admission charge of $1.00 each person. Mr. Moorsteen’s appearance is sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women. For reservations call Mrs.Floyd Kramer.
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Pioneer Women Set For Regional Conference Here
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 11, 1957, Page 1
Mrs. Batsheva Vilenski, director of the Vocational Training Program for the Youth Department of the Working Women’s Council in Israel, will be the principal speaker at the Pioneer Women’s Regional Conference on January 11 to 14 at the San Diego Hotel.
Mrs. Vilenski has been living in Israel since 935 and is a member of the Executive Board of Histadrut and has done pioneer work in all parts of the world.
Guest speaker from the National Office of Pioneer Women will be Mrs. Esther Zackler, who, with Mrs. Vilenski, will lead discussions at the work-shop sessions of the Conference.
The public will be welcome at the open meeting on Saturday, January 12, and the dinner on Sunday. For reservations call Mrs. Seymoure Gates, JU 2-1540, or Mrs. Isaac Domnitz at AT-1-8236.
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Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a regular feature until we run out of history. To find stories on specific individuals or organizations, type their names in our search box, located just above the masthead on the right hand side of the screen.