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Community Currents
Southwestern Jewish Press, January 19, 1951, pages 2, 8

By Albert Hutler, Executive Director, United Jewish Fund

You only get out of your community what you are willing to put into it. You can live alone and like it, or you can live with others and be happy. The Jew who wants to live and work with others finds that he has many demands upon his generosity, both of time and money, which place upon him the responsibility of judging which of these demands shall be given priority. Today we live in a maze of communal activity. There are numerous causes, each of which have their ardent proponents. It is none too simple for the generous individual to judge the relative worth of the many causes which he is called upon to support. But it is certainly evident to a reasonable and rational person that there is no one cause which has a first priority, but that there are certain fundamental causes and needs which are of equal worth, and which must therefore receive wholehearted support. Certainly the Synagogues are first priority. But no one can know the crises of Jews still in displaced persons camps, and still in Eastern Europe whose only hope is to get to Israel, and not say that they are not first priority. The safety and economic stability of the young State of Israel belongs as a first priority. The newly arrived immigrant who has come to us after years of despair and loss of hope and who needs our help is also first priority. The care of Jewish aged, the sick, and the unfortunate in our own community are also first priority. The fight to protect civil liberties, status of the Jew as a first class citizen, certainly has a claim as a first priority. And our community organizations, such as the Community Chest of San Diego supporting some 85 lo9cal institutions and agencies in san Diego certainly belongs in the family of first priority. No one person can say that his organization alone is a first priority of the generosity of our citizens. There are many first priorities that must be taken into consideration by each individual.

Statistics —Statistics are not the most interesting reading, but perhaps you will want to know the results of the 1950 campaign. $187,490 was contributed by 1732 individuals, which means a per capita contribution of about $108 each. 76 percent of the contributors gave 15 percent of the money while 24 percent gave 85 percent of the money. To break it down a little further, 2 percent of the contributors in the 1950 Campaign gave 40 percent of the entire money raised. The whole picture is an indication of pretty good coverage, and of a broad base of representation in the United Jewish Fund of San Diego.

Local Needs—The first year of deficit financing for local agencies through a Central Federation showed an increase in service tot he community as a whole. The Welfare Society expanded its work with professional staff, and rendered services to members of our community which could not have been given in the past; the Home for the Aged has a much more professional status and a more efficient administrative policy; the Community Relations Council has a more representative base; and the Center Association as well as the Jewish Education Commission have been given a continuing base.

San Diego Needs—The rapid growth of the Young Adult Club is certainly an indication of a challenge in San Diego to furnish facilities and direction for young adults, many of whom are strangers to San Diego. They have come here through the impact of the world situation. Fortunately for them that such people as Millie Berman and Sylvia Sinn answered the challenge through the club which now has 75 members. The lack of facilities, which would decently serve some of our women who are interested in a Figure Control and Modern Class caused discontinuation of the class last week. Several other activities have had to be curtailed because of this as well as the field of recreational and leisure time activity. 

Discrimination —I have just finished re-reading a report of the Governor's Committee on Minority Employment, which has recently been issued in Southern California. In the Los Angeles area 85 percent of the orders called into the State Employment Service for stenographers and typist discriminated. sales work is 80 to 890 percent discriminatory. General office work and bookkeeping is 95 percent; stock and shipping clerks, 90 percent discriminatory.