Harvard Begins Israeli Fund Drive In the Wake of New Mideast Conflict

An emergency fund designed to aid Israel began stepped-up operations at Harvard and across the country on Monday in the wake of Israel's current war with Egypt and Syria.

The nationwide effort began in response to the appeal of Abba Eban, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, at a meeting of national Jewish leaders, in New York City last Sunday.

Ordinarily, a program coordinating the 1974 Harvard United Jewish Appeal would have been initiated in January. The funds collected then would have been distributed to Jewish charities both in the United States and abroad.

All funds collected in this emergency drive at Harvard and in the Greater Boston area will be used for relief to Israel alone. These funds will be used for non-military purposes only: hospital aid, refugee housing and reconstruction of damaged property, like the recently shelled kibbutzim in the Jordan Valley.

Last year Harvard's United Jewish Appeal raised $3830.60, but David G. Trachtenberg '76, coordinator for this year's fund drive, says he forsees some difficulty in organizing solicitations of donations of blood and money.

"The fact that we are trying to respond quickly creates problems," he said. "We haven't had time to gather a large group of volunteers and we don't have comprehensive lists of Jewish students."

Nevertheless, he says he expects that donations will be sent off within the month under the direction of the Boston branch of the Combined Jewish Philanthropists (CJP).

An official of the CJP yesterday affirmed his organization's support for the fund drive.

"Everything that can possibly be done will be done in order to show how the Jewish community in the United States is behind Israel," Harvey Frieman, organizer of the CJP's college fund-raising, said.

The Harvard end of the drive will be conducted by student volunteers who will solicit funds and hold informational gatherings.

In the past, funds collected for Israel have helped to pay for and support immigrant transport into Israel, as well as schools, hospitals and agricultural communities in Israel itself. The money collected has been used for national or international needs at the discretion of the individual donor.