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Community Currents
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 3, 1950, page 2.

By Albert Hutler, Executive Director, United Jewish Fund

Community Center Issue — There wasn't any question in anyone's mind how the over 200 Lasker Lodge B'nai B'rith members felt about their lodge initiating a Community Center movement, last Monday when the recommendations of Harry Mallen's committee were passed with a dissenting vote of seven.  Some 200 men voted in favor, and I was very happy to hear Rabbi Morton J. Cohn state that if this was what the community desired, he would do everything in its power to see it achieved. There isn't any use rehashing the issue at this time, but I am hopefully praying that the synagogues and Temples in our community, the Jewish Community Center, the United Jewish Fund and Federation, the outstandingly strong organizations such as B'nai B'rith can learn to work side by side in cooperation and that out of the meeting last MOnday will eventually come a feeling of mutual respect, understanding and cooperation.

Center Issue—Other Communities—Right at the moment Trenton, New Jersey, is opening up a campaign for the Jewish Community Center. With $450,000 payable over three years, it intends to build a center costing $625,000. The figure being discussed in San Diego at this time is somewhere between $85,000 and $100,000 to start, building to be constructed in such a way that additional facilities may be added if needed. Phoenix, Arizona is now on the move for a Community Center Building, while Seattle, Washington is also working toward that end. In Los Angeles, well over a million dollars will be spent next year for the new Community Center and added facilities. Oakland, California, which has just build a new Old Folks Home is also going to build a new Community Center.

Central Israeli Fund—The West Central, Southeastern and Southwestern Conferences, which includes 88 Jewish Communities, have passed resolutions urging the creation of a central Israeli fund to insure maximum benefits from philanthropic contributions through local welfare funds.

Extraordinary Conference of American Jewry—While this is being written American Jewish leaders are meeting in Washington D.C. in the most critical meeting of American Jewry in many times. At the moment the results are unknown, but the meeting will take up the needs of Israel and how they can best be met. I think the two most important topics on the agenda will concern itself with the billion dollar bond drive that is contemplated for 1951, as well as philanthropic funds from America for the State of Israel. A report of this meeting will be given by one of the representatives from Los Angeles as the principal feature of the United Jewish Fund Annual Meeting early in December.