Residents Increase Jewish Fund Pledges to Record $2.1 Million

San Fernando Valley-area residents pledged a record $2.1 million to the United Jewish Fund during the group’s annual Super Sunday fund-raising drive, fund officials said Monday.

The war in the Persian Gulf, coupled with the opening this year of a second office in the Valley staffed with volunteers to take phone pledges, contributed to an estimated 33% increase in pledges over the previous year, according to fund officials.

In addition, the fact that a large number of Jews have recently emigrated from the Soviet Union to Israel probably prodded many people into pledging money, according to Arthur Jablon, who oversaw the Valley fund-raising effort.

“It would have been a good year regardless because I think the mass exodus of Jews from Russia has stimulated an awful lot of people,” he said.

Sunday’s pledge drive was the 12th year that the fund, the money-raising arm of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, has conducted a Super Sunday fund-raising drive.

In all, $6.2 million was raised by more than 5,000 volunteers working phones in six locations, said Aaron Zimmer, coordinator of the Los Angeles-area drive. Last year, just under $5 million was pledged.

Typically, at least 95% of the money pledged during the event is later collected, he said.

Besides social service programs in Israel, Jablon said, donations are used for humanitarian programs in 34 countries. About half the money is divided among more than 25 Los Angeles-area Jewish groups.