Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

The Southern Israelite Page 5 What is the Federation? By EDWARD M. KAHN, Executive Director i< ration is the Jewish Com- st of Atlanta. It guides and ,,, r t the organized social service of Atlanta Jewry. The only rl agency outside the Federa tion is the Hebrew Orphans’ Home, t regional institution covering Southeast. So far as At- s child care problems are con cerned the Federation maintains cor- > operative relations with the a-ed on a working agreement where, in the proper joint cases, the n cares for the adults and the .ihsidizes the minor children. Federation is made up of the lowing constituent agencies, which n as departments of the Federa- der the direction of the Execu- tivc Director: The Montefiore Relief is the family e and Social Service Department of the Federation. Morris Hirsch Clinic is the health agency of the Federation. Morris Lichtenstein Free Loan is the small loan and self-support Fund of the Federation. The Jewish Educational Alliance is Recreational and Educational of the Federation. Its activi- c those of a Jewish Center. 117iy a Federation? dations with the Community Chest organized Jewish Welfare can ak and act as a unit. Federation coordinates the w'ork Social Service activities in a com- | mtinity. ' It avoids the elements of duplication and waste. It reduces overhead. It organizes the community and can specific problems from the ndpoint of the welfare of the entire community. ' - hr the Objectives of a Jewish Federationf e organized charities it natur- and properly deals first with aspects of Jewish community which present maladjustments • sort or another, dependency, -c, delinquency, and behavior ;t< dilcms. 3. hen there was an endless stream emigration into this country the edial aspects of Federation work rhed all the energy and atten- "f community leadership. Al- "'Jgh still very important, the rative work is gradually giving to more constructive Jewdsh efforts. s e efforts are concerned with denis of Jewish education, with cultural development of the h group, with character build- f the Jewish youth of a com- y Jewish group consciousness the ability to participate in tently in common action be- •e prime factors in the upbuild- f a sound and wholesome Jew ish life. '■wish Federation must be able operate with the general com- ;t . v in matters affecting the so- ua ‘ we lfare of the entire community. 4. It should have the prestige and in fluence of the Jewish group behind it and be able to speak for and rep resent the social welfare interests of the Jewish community on the outside. 5. The Federation should have the vision and the leadership for plan ning and organizing all the social service efforts of the Jewish com munity. 6. The Federation must stand for the development of sound social service standards and practices. How’ have we measured up to these objectives here in Atlanta? We must confess that we are just now beginning to emerge from the first stage of relief as the only ob ject of the Federation. We see al ready the importance of a preven tive program and are thinking in terms (though theoretically as yet) of construction. We have made con siderable progress in the develop ment of a sounder social service technique and higher standards of work. But we are far from our goal as yet. Ours is an uphill struggle which requires, nay demands, the support and cooperation of every Jew in our community. The Montefiore Relief In keeping with the objectives of present-day family welfare agencies relief has not been stressed as the most important element in the pro gram. Relief is necessary in an emer gency. It is first aid and no more. Far more important is the diagnosis of the causes and the attempt at rehabili tation. Here is where intelligence and training become of primary importance. No social worker can render adequate service to a family without an intelli gent application of principles and prac tices of social case work, without the exercise of tact, discrimination, and a fine sensitiveness which translates sym pathy into concrete, practical accom plishment. In the final analysis it is the influence of personality upon a family which spells success or failure in very many cases. Of course no so cial worker can work miracles, although they sometimes do. There must be found adequate community resources, proper environmental conditions, and a sound psychology. These are the tools which a trained social worker must manipulate. The Social Work of the Federation is undifferentiated. It includes every specialty—family welfare, child care, delinquency, psychiatric social work and whatever else there is. Statistical Statement for Year 1929 During the past year the Relief De partment of the Federation had under its care the following cases: Major care, relief cases, 58 families and individuals. Major care service cases, 70 families and individuals, or a total of 128 families, involving 390 in dividuals. Of these, 201 were children and 189 adults. During 1929 171 transients were as sisted with meals, lodging, and trans portation in proper cases. This num ber included quite a number of tran sient families. 1 he Federation cooperated with other cities by conducting 27 investi gations for out-of-town agencies. The foregoing figures do not include incidental service cases of advice, etc., of which no records were made. Problems of the Relief Department Briefly, I shall enumerate a few of the outstanding problems which con fronted us during the past year: 1. The precarious economic status of our local Jewish grocers and other small business men. This may in time become a very serious prob lem and should he given attention and thought in connection with the reorganization of the capital funds of the Free Loan Fund. Fdward M. Kahn 2. The health situation remains a ma jor cause for family breakdown eco nomically. The problem of hospi talization is a nightmare to most families in moderate financial cir cumstances. The need for a Jewish hospital should once again be given serious consideration. 3. The problem of employment and placement is an important matter. We must secure the cooperation of Jewish employers of labor so that we may develop a more adequate placement service. 4. Vocational training and opportu nities. This, to my mind, is the most important problem of all. Boys particularly, and many girls for that matter, drift into blind-alley occu pations requiring no skill and lead ing no w f here. This may prove very costly to the community, when the boy grows to manhood, follows in stinct, marries, brings a family into being, and ultimately becomes a charge upon the community. The matter concerns community re sources for vocational and industrial training and proper vocational guid ance. I would recommend the for mation of a Federation Committee on Vocational Guidance which should secure the cooperation of the Council of Jewish Women in mak ing a local survey of the extent of the need for vacational training among the Jewish boys and girls of Atlanta. Proposed Organisation of Jewish Social Service Bureau The old method of doling out re lief is dead. The old practice of re quiring applicants to appear in person and plead their cause is buried, never to be resurrected. New methods, new practices require new forms of organi zation. A Relief or Social Service Board should guide the work by con cerning itself with problems of com munity resources, community attitudes toward relief, ways and means of reha bilitating clients by establishing them in business, etc. The amount and kind of relief is an administrative matter to be guided by the adoption of a scien tific standard, family budget. The pres ent relief board has rendered yeoman service. The Executive Director has differed with many of their members on matters of policy and principle, but he recognizes the value of their con sistent interest, their willingness to give time, and to render service accord ing to their ability. Many of the pres ent members of the Relief Board have been active in its counsel for many years. They have accumulated a wide knowledge of the families and their problems. We want to utilize that knowledge to the best interest of the work. Nevertheless, we want to widen the scope of usefulness of the Relief Board. We want a broader horizon to guide our social service policy. We need and should interest other groups in the community, especially women’s groups, in the work of social service. Therefore, in accordance with these views, and in keeping with the best practices of Federations throughout the country, I recommend that the present Relief Board be reorganized and that a Jewish Social Service Bureau be or ganized as a department of the Federa tion. This Bureau to be under the di rection of the Federation, but its per sonnel be representative of all the ele ments in the community. Morris Lichtenstein Free Loan Fund The Free Loan Fund is a branch of the Federation. The policy of operat ing it as a part of the Relief has been abandoned as unsound. An attempt has been made to enforce business stand ards, with the human element not taken out but in the center, in granting loans and in collecting loans. During the past year we have been more success ful in conserving the resources of this fund and gathering in its assets. During 1929, without any addition to the capital fund, but from collections only, the Fund was able to lend $1,250 in sums varying from $50 to $150 each. To prevent would-be clients of the Relief from becoming actual clients, the capital fund of the Free Loan should be increased. Strict business methods should continue in the opera tion of this Fund. (Continued on Page 11)