The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, March 29, 1929, Image 4
Page
The Southern Israelite
What the South Has Done For Its
Brethren Across the Seas
The history of the Southern States
and its answer to their suffering
brothers and sisters in foreign lands
is well deserving of praise when the
final chapter of the United Jewish
Campaign is written.
In December, 1925, Atlanta was
host to David A. Brown, National
Chairman of the United Jewish Cam
paign, in what is now a memorial
gathering of Southern Jewry. Men,
women and children were moved to
tears by the reciting of conditions
across the seas and pledged them
selves to Mr. Brown that Southern
Jewry would not fail in its mission
to assist those less fortunate than our
selves. At that conference, held in the
Biltmore Hotel, all three of the local
Atlanta papers and the Associated
Press through its southern bureau,
carried stories that were the beginning
of Dixie's answer to those in foreign
lands. Hon. Clifford Walker, then
Governor of Georgia, and Hon. Wal
ter Sims, then Mayor of Atlanta, were
present to add hope to those who were
crying from across the seas “Save Us
Or We Die.”
Alabama was the first state in the
South to over-subscribe its quota of
$100,000.00, pledging a total of $147,-
862.00 of which it has paid $108,654.00
to date. Credit must be given to such
leaders as its State Chairman, Marvin
II. Sterne, of Birmingham, Isidore
Weil, of Montgomery, who acted as
Honorary Chairman, Leo K. Steiner,
its State Treasurer, and a number of
others throughout the state.
It was chiefly through the personal
efforts of the late Myron Lasker, of
Little Rock, who gave of himself from
early morning until late at night, in
visiting every city, town and hamlet
that made possible the state of Arkan
sas over-subscribing its quota of $75,-
000.00, when it pledged a total of $76,-
406.00, of which it has paid to date
$51,125.00. In the loss of Mr. Lasker
both state and country were deprived
of a leader that words fail to express.
The campaign in Florida was
launched as the unfortunate real es
tate collapse was taking place, and
yet in face of same and following tor
nadoes, hurricanes and economic de
pressions, pledged $123,239.00. Such
leaders as Marcus Endel, Sidney Levy,
David Davis, Neal Finkelstein, Rabbi
M. Elliott Grafman, Ernest Maas,
Day J. Apte and a number of others
have given of themselves unstintingly
so that they could help those across
the seas. This is indeed a fine spirit
when one considers the suffering that
these Floridians themselves passed
through.
The history of the state of Georgia
is being taken care of in a separate
article in these columns.
Under the able leadership of Colonel
Fred Levy of Louisville, State Chair
man for Kentucky, his state pledged
$187,460.00, of which it has paid to
date $129,623.00.
We glory in the accomplishments
of Louisiana, which pledged $178,-
970.00, and has paid $141,604.22 to
date. Louisiana’s record is only sur
passed by the city of Chicago and the
states of Indiana and Oregon in the
amounts paid on their pledges. The
State Chairman for Louisiana is Rab
bi Emil W. Leipziger of New Orleans,
with Silvan Newburger as State
Treasurer, and Dr. David Fichman as
State Secretary. Mr. E. V. Benjamin
is the Chairman for New Orleans,
and at the time of the drive postponed
a European trip so that he might head
his city in this life saving effort. Sid
ney Herold of Shreveport is the South
ern Zone Chairman.
In face of flooded areas the state
of Mississippi, under the leadership
of Dr. Sol L. Kory, as Chairman, and
Ben H. Stein, as Treasurer, managed
to pledge $43,376.00, of which it has
paid $25,871.25.
With such leadership as M. E.
Block, as Chairman, Benard W. Cone,
as Treasurer, and Dr. Milton Ellis,
as Secretary, North Carolina pledged
$80,128.00, and to date has paid $56,-
538.00.
Another loss in the untimely pass
ing of a State Chairman was that of
the late Montague Triest of Charles
ton, who lead South Carolina in its
efforts of this appeal. Isadore Blank,
State Treasurer, however took up the
duty of both his office and that of
State Chairman in seeing that $13,-
686.35 was paid on the state quota
pledged of $16,517.00.
The state of Tennessee pledged
$112,034 00, and has paid $73,581.61 to
date. Such leaders as Harry Wise, Sr.,
State Chairman, W. A. Sadd, State
Treasurer, L. Koblentz, Morris Fried
man, L. Rosenbloom, Henry Loeb, H.
Bluthenthal, Abe Simon, Nathen Cohn,
Lee J. Loventhal, have made possible
the fine showing of Tennessee.
Virginia, the Old Dominion State,
pledged $84,709.00, and has paid in
$46,424.01. One cannot give too much
credit to such leaders as I. Lichten
stein, W. H. Schwarzschild, G. M.
Schwarzchild, Robert Binder, M.
Kaufman, and other leaders in old
Virginia, for the masterful work they
have done.
West Virginia was divided into two
zones, one called the northern, under
the chairmanship of Louis Hork-
heimer, and Julius Horkheimer, as
Treasurer, who secured pledges of
$43,934.00, of which $26,796.57 has
been paid to date. The other zone in
West Virginia, called the Southern,
under the leadership of Harry Silver-
stein, of Charleston, pledged $43,-
388.00, and has paid $20,184.86 to
date.
It was on December 6, 1925, that
the first plans for participation of the
state of Georgia in the United Jewish
Campaign were laid. Mr. Harold
Hirsch of Atlanta, graciously accepted
the State Chairmanship, while Mr.
Leonard Haas also of Atlanta accept
ed the S ate Treasurership. It was un
der their able leadership, and that of
constituents that rallied around them
to assist, that made possible the ex
cellent showing of the state of Geor
gia. These leaders have not for oi>
moment relinquished their duties and
help to our brothers in foreign lands,
and time and time again have assur
ed our National Leaders, such as
David A. Brown, Louis Marshall, Fe-
l x Warburg, Julius Rosenwald and
others that they will remain on the
job until every dollar pledged has
been collected.
The first large city to be heard from
in Georgia when the campaigns got
under way was that of Macon. Morris
Michael, Chairman and Treasurer,
and Rabbi I. E. Marcus wired to state
headquarters that their city had
pledged $9,600.00. Not satisfied in be
ing the first city to send in its report
as to pledges, Macon was the first city
to pay up in full, without a penny
being lost by non-payment, and with
no campaign expenses for its local
appeal.
A few days later, Hyman Esserman,
Chairman for Rome, advised that
Rome had pledged $2,288.00, and was
sending its check for that amount. La-
Grange was another city that after
hearing the masterful appeal of Rabbi
David B. Marx sent its check through
Chairman I. Sugarman, for $1,005.00.
Albany was again in the front
ranks of Georgia cities which pledged
$2,205.25 and since that time has paid
up in full, with no cost for their local
campaign. The leaders in the Albany
campaign were Henry Gortatowsky,
Chairman, L. J. Hofmayer and Dr. E.’
A. Landau, Vice-Chairman, Lionel
Texas was very fortunate in having
such leaders as Hurbert Marcus as
Chairman, and J. K. Hexter, as Treas
urer. Under their leadership Texas
pledged $299,532.00 and has paid
$205,600.00 to date.
All told, it is the above figures that
made those states below the Mason-
Dixon line stand out in bold type in
answering the cries of the unfortu
nate from far away. The answer was
spelled in dollars, and it looks as if
every penny pledged in the South will
probably be collected.
Sterne, Chairman of the Executive
Committee, and Carl Neuman, as Sec
retary and Treasurer.
Savannah organized a committee
lead by the late A. J. Garfunkel, as
Chairman, Leopold Adler, as Hono
rary Chairman, Dr. George Solomon,
as Vice-Chairman, Elry Stone, as Sec
retary, Sam Adler, as Treasurer, and
Isaac Blumberg, and Morris Bern
stein, as members of the finance com
mittee. Savannah pledged $19,614.00,
and to date has paid $13,714.90. At
this time it is with sad regret that
we note the recent passing of the be
loved Chairman of Savannah, A. J.
Garfunkel, whose acts and life should
stand as a memorial and impetus to
all Jewry.
Columbus pledged $5,290.00, and to
date has paid $2,116.15. The leaders
in the Columbus campaign were Ger-
son RoihschTd, David Rothsch.ld,
Rabbi Frank L. Rosenthal and Simon
Schwab.
Bainbridge, under the leadership of
Melvin H. Nussbaum, as Chairman,
and W. H. Kwilecki, as Treasurer, se
cured pledges to the amount of $1»*
205.00, upon which $805.00 has been
paid to date.
Augusta, lead through its chairman,
David Slusky, and assisted by Charles
Schneider, and Lee Blum, secured
pledges totalling $3,229.66, of which
$2,563.90 has been paid to date.
Reports from other cities through
out the state, followed rapidly, Ath
ens, Americus, Barnesville, Carters-
ville, Cedartown, Cochran, Cordele,
Covington, Dalton, Eatonton, Fitz
gerald, Fort Valley, Gainesville, Gor
don, Griffin, Hawkinsville, Manches
ter, Marietta, Moultrie, Norcross, Pe -
ham, Quitman, Rochelle, Sandersvi e,
Statesboro, Swainsboro, Thomasvi e,
Tifton, Toccoa, Valdosta, Washington.
Waycross, Waynesboro, West P° in
and Wrightsville all came into in ^
with pledges to the state wide cam
paign.
Georgia's History In The
United Jewish Campaign