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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE // A F acing The Situation Statement Of Social Work Experience During 1930 By EDWARD M. KAHN economic situation on local conditions, with particular reference to the Jew ish group? How has this affected our local so cial work program ? Unemployment, an increase in homeless and transient cases, taxed to capacity the funds and personnel of the case working agencies. Intake had to be selected, restricted, or a new technique found to deal with the emergency, short time care cases. Fortunately the people of Atlanta responded more generously to the ap peal of the Community Chest on be half of the social agencies, and with additional special funds raised, At lanta was able to ward off a serious disorganization of its social work ma chinery, and to ameliorate somewhat the distressing conditions confronting the unemployed. Although the effects of economic depression on the Jewish group have not been as apparent, they have been, nevei theless. rather serious. There are few Jewish industrial workers in Atlanta. Most of our group are en gaged in some form of business, small or big, mostly small. The younger people belong to the white collar class engaged in clerical, office and sales jobs, with a number in the professions. Among these unemployment has be come a serious menace. The effects of economic pressure on the small merchant, the grocer, in ad dition to chain store competition, have been well nigh disastrous. Turning over stores to creditors to dispose of the merchandise as they see fit, an increasing number of bankruptcies. To protect themselves against this double encroachment of depression and competition a number of Jewish grocers formed an association of gro cery stores designed to obtain better prices, easier credit through coopera tive buying. This association estab lished a warehouse. It sells to its members on a cash basis, but allows them to buy in small quantities and gives them the benefit of very low prices. This method of cooperation has saved many a Jewish grocer from bankruptcy and from ruination. However, the immediate effects are not as significant as those likely to develop in a year, two or five from now. There has occurred a general and widespread undermining of the economic status of the Jewish group. JULIAN V. BOEHM Chairman Nominating Committee .1. B. WOLFE, Treasurer Atlanta Federation of Jewish Charities s and figures, human interest "ties of family life broken down by pressure of economic necessity unemployment; of human suffer- and distress; of illness of body spirit; of young people graduat- :r °m schools and colleges and un to be placed—these have become mmonplace experiences and we 1Ve become indifferent to the facts d figures. the an<: i n g am abl ualize the conditions throughout country and you see before your a vast army on the march— ! Ping in search of work. Work is wage-earner's hope. But, in the time, the landlord presses him lent and threatens to assert his lights, the butcher refuses fur- icdit, the grocer demands cash. ' unknown soldier of the army nt \ unemployed borrows money friends and from loan com- Soon he is engulfed in a sea ts and he is overwhelmed. He s to a family agency which can relieve his immediate desperate present depression, unlike pre- - periods of the business cycle, atfected in a serious way the collar folk, a class hitherto un- ■ n to application bureaus of so- agencies. know these facts is one thing, terpret them understanding^ is f another matter, at have been the effects of this Rose Esserman, Gertrude IMatzblatt, Joe Levy, Joshua Smukler, and B. B. Miller. Special awards were presented by Miss Bella Shapard, teacher of the Confirmation Class, to Miss Mendel- son and Miss Esserman, as Honor Students. Each confirmant was also given a beautiful white Bible by Mr. Isaac May, in memory of his wife, the late Mrs. Hannie Kuttner May. Among the participants on this pro gram were Mr. Oscar Borochoff, Su perintendent of the Religious School, who presented Rabbi Parker a gift from the school; Harry Edelstein, tal ented nine-year-old tenor, the son of Mr. Sam Edelstein, of Chattanooga; and Mrs. Ruth Meyerhardt Poss, ac complished violinist, who was accom panied by Mrs. Sam Edelstein at the piano. Many out-of-town visitors attended the services. tan, and a native of Washington, Ga., died at his home on Diamond Street, Philadelphia. Dr. Franklin was surgeon for the Penn Sugar Refining Company, and was a member of the staff of the St. Mary's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is survived by five brothers, D. L., Joseph, Ruben, Sam and Simeon Franklin, and three sisters, Mrs. Irene Philips, Mrs. Julius Berman and Mrs. Clarence Berman, all of At lanta, and his wife, Anna. Dr. Frank lin was 53 years old. His funeral ser vices will be held at Philadelphia. Honor Students Among those who were conferred high honors 'by Yale University were Arthur Liebman Harris, Atlanta, Ga., and Stephen Hofmayer, Albany, Ga. It is gratifying to note that Mr. Hof mayer had high oration standing while Mr. Harris took honors in French.