As World War I raged, urgent pleas for help came from Jews in Eastern Europe. They were suffering not only from food shortages but also from discrimination and oppression. An estimated two million Jews were entirely dependent on charity. In response, the Orthodox Union in the United States established a relief committee in 1914. When fundraising efforts fell short, they asked President Wilson to designate Jewish War Relief Day. Wilson approved the measure in 1916, noting in his proclamation that Americans “have learned with sorrow of this terrible plight of millions of human beings and have most generously responded to the cry for help whenever such an appeal has reached them.”