In spite of the growing. independence' of else great masses of the Jewish people' in this city, the United Hebrew Charities finds it necessary to continue its activities and because the families who 'do require aid are, for a large part, in the position where continuous assist ance and treatment must be afforded, increased funds are necessary bath for relief and for nilatis.istratiofl. In 1903, the society disbursed about $200,000, aiding during that year 7,900 families. In 1913, the society expended about $300,000,i aiding 3,996 families. .But this was not the Oily cause for this increase in dis bursements. Two other causes' have operated, —first; the cost of the necessities of life lies 'substantially increased, and secondly, higher standarda of relief have. been adopted by the organization.
The United Hebrew Charities limits its activi ties to what was the city of New York before the Consolidation .of the boroughs, that is, to Manhattan sand. the 'Bronx. it was established ago; as as off-shoot of the Hebrew Benevolent and' Orphan Asylem Society, and was composed of the following organizations Hebrew Benevolent and Orphan Asylum So ciety, The Hebrew•Betievolent Fuel Assothtion, the Hebrew Relief Society of Congregation Shateith Israel, Ladies Benevolent Society, Congregation _Gates of 'Prayer and the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society of Yorkville.
The general character of its relief Work does' not differ materially from of tile other. large relief organizations, except in this respect, that for twiny years the United' Hebrew Charities has maiatained a large' list of pen. *loners, •so-called, thatis . of the families who after a earefel inveatigadon are foetid to be in a position where regular and continuous relief is necessary. These families 'ate visited front time 'to time, irregularly, to determine whether their- conditions have changed, requiring a re adjustment of the treatment, or at such time* as the families themselves seek advice or ail ditiaaal aid.
• As to the of distress among Jewish families,' these do not differ except in one re spect f tom the causes that operate among nori fewish fainilles. It can safely be said that much of the' dependency prevailing here is ducuto cireimitnances over which they have little control. Sickness among Jewish cases is re-; sponsible for 45 per cent of the apPlicationsl half of this is due to tuberculosis; 30 per cent is due to widowhood. Among the other 25 per cent, employment plays its part, old age, physical and: rental handicaps play their part, as•well as family desertions. These causes cannot be pre. Seined with scientific accuracy. An analysis of the causes 'of distress are highly intricate and Complex, 'as Dr. Devine points out in his book of Iiisery.) What past heredity plays in bringing these victims to the doors of the charities is difficult to determine, but unques tionably it plays its important role, for if every Jewish widow, tuberculosis patient and chronic invalid were to apply to the organization for assistance, the numbers now coming would be multiplied several times. There is one cause
which is absent among Jewish families,— the drink evil is practically Unknown among Jews.
The United Hebrew Charities has consist ently pursued the policy of attacking the causes of distress so far as it has been able. In most instances, the 'removal of the' causes could not be brought about by the organization itself, be cause they are governed by conditions beyond its control. There is one cause, however, which it has been able to attack in a substantial de gree, and that is, family The im pression may have been created because of its extraordinary activity in this direction, that this evil prevails to a larger extent among Jews than among other families, but this is not so. The records of other organizations show that desertion is as large a contributing factor in dependency among other people. As a result of the work done by that organization, the National Conference of Jewish Charities estab lished the National Desertion Bureau in 1910 to act as a clearing-house for desertion cases for all Jewish charities throughout the country. Up to the present time about 10,000 such cases have been taken up and in about 75 per cent the deserter has been located. In nearly all the instances they were reconciled with their families or an arrangement was made under which they resumed the support of the family, even though separated from them, and in a few cases where the deserter refused to resume his moral and legal obligations, the laws on the subject were invoked. The reports of that bureau are among the most interesting human documents ever published.
The cornerstone of Jewish charity is aid to Maimonides, the great Jewish law codifier, enumerated eight different kinds of charity in the order of their merit. The first was aiding the poor to help themselves. This principle has always been the primary object of so-called *case work," with all of these organizations. Similar methods to accomplish these results are followed with variations by all the large relief organizations. In the case of the Jewish charities, the instruments employed are in some respects similar and in others dif ferent. About $15,000 of its funds are yearly applied in the form of loans without security to enable persons to become self-supporting in small businesses. These means come largely from what is termed °The Self-Support and Self-Help Fund." A few years ago the or ganization established a workroom for women on a modern business plan, where neckties and shirts, boys' wash suits are manufactured, with electric power machines. To this workroom have been sent many women whose absence from the home caused no neglect to their chil dren, nor worked unusual hardship to the women themselves.