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FEDERATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF JEWISH PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETIES OF NEW YORK CITY 71 WEST 47 STREET OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT April 19, 1934 Mr. Germain Seligmann, 3 East 51st Street, New York City. Dear Mr. Seligmann: During these trying times, the president of Federation has a grave responsibility. As you know, we will be called on to raise this year the biggest deficit in our history. The campaign will not get under way until the fall, but the task is so great and the implications of possible failure so serious that we feel it is important to begin the work of organizing now for the fall effort. For that reason we are arranging a small dinner meeting of leaders in business and the professions for Thursday evening, May 3, at 6.30 at the Hotel Plaza, at which I am most anxious to have you present. I hope we can make this something more than just another dinner. Of course there will be no money raising of any kind. What we do need is to question and criticize everything that we have done in the past. We need new ideas, new approaches to our problem. You will not be asked to undertake any responsibility at this time other than to join with us in a general discussion of the entire Federation problem. I write you because frankly I want you to become interested in Federation and its activities. I want your help in building up the kind of organization which in the fall of the year will give us some hope of raising the deficit. The apparent apathy of the community at large is cause for genuine alarm. Our Jewish community here as elsewhere is passing through a crisis that may affect not only our own lives but those of our children. I look forward to hearing from you within a day or two, that you will be with us. Sincerely yours, Joseph M. Proskauer President JMP/K