The twentieth anniversary of the existence of Tel Aviv, the first all-Jewish city in Palestine, was celebrated here today at the fair grounds of the Palestine and Near East Exhibition.
Mayor Dizengoff in his opening address paid tribute to the memory of the Jewish victims of the 1921 Arab riots. He traced the history of the city since its early beginnings and declared that the municipality has decided to name the street which is the continuation of the Rothschild Boulevard as the Keren Kayemath Boulevard in recognition of the Keren Kayemath’s assistance granted to the founders of Tel Aviv by providing them with loans to build houses.
The District Commissioner, speaking in Hebrew, congratulated Tel Aviv on behalf of the government. It is certain that some mistakes were made, he stated, but the city of Tel Aviv is a great success and symbolizes the everlasting faith of the Jewish race. Among other speakers were Miss Henrietta Szold on behalf of the Zionist Executive, Dr. Joshua Thon on behalf of the Vaad Leumi, Leib Jaffe on behalf of the Keren Hayesod, Mr. Wilkansky on behalf of the Keren Kayemath, and representatives of the colonies and the Labor Federation.
A striking feature of the celebration was a march of all native Tel Avivians. All those who were born in Tel Aviv came in groups, each age with its banner. The oldest of the nativeborn sons of Tel Aviv delivered an address, describing Tel Aviv as a center for the free deelopment of the youth. The Mayor handed him a certificate describing him as the first native son of Tel Aviv. The celebration was concluded with a blessing by Rabbi Benzion Uziel, chief rabbi of the Sephardic community in Tel Aviv, who offered a prayer that “God help His people Israel to revive in the Land of Israel,” Many shed tears.
An indication of the growth in the Palestine industries was seen in the award at the exhibition of a gold medal to Barkai, a textile manufacturing plant established tow years ago in the Chassidic colony, B’nai Berak, near Tel Aviv. The textile factory employs fifty workers and finds a market for its products in Palestine and Syria. Fifty thousand dollars have been invested in the enterprise, $30,000 of which were raised in the U. S. by I. Gerstenkorn, president of the company.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
