A total of $2,616,000 in Israel bonds was sold here tonight at a dinner tendered to Eddie Cantor, noted Jewish actor, on the occasion of his 60th birthday. More than 1,700 guests attended the affair at the Hotel Commodore. Admission was by purchase of $1,000 or more in Israeli bonds.
The actual cost of the birthday dinner was defrayed by a group of Mr. Cantor’s personal friends, enabling all of the $2,616,000 realized from the sale of the bonds to go for the economic development of Israel, it was announced by Rudolf G. Sonneborn, president of the American Financial and Development Corporation for Israel, which directs the sale of Israel bonds in the United States.
Tribute was paid to Mr. Cantor for his many humanitarian activities by Vice-President Alben W. Barkley. In behalf of the Israel bond drive, Vice President Barkley presented Mr. Cantor with a gold relief plaque of a map of Israel. The plaque bore the following inscription: “In tribute to Eddie Cantor-his life has been a noble testament of devotion and self-sacrifice for the Jewish people and all man-kind. His towering achievements for Israel have been an inspiration and a beacon to all American Jews. On his 60th birthday we acknowledge a deep debt of gratitude to and warm affection for a truly great human being, whose boundless energy has enriched all American life, regardless of race, creed or color.”
David Goitein, Acting Israel Ambassador to the United States, hailed Mr. Cantor as a “builder of Israel.” He presented to Mr. Cantor an engraved cable from Prime Minister David Ben Gurion of Israel which read: “People are gathered here in Israel from the ends of the earth to rejoice in your sixtieth birthday. They have with good reason taken you to their hearts, because your heart is so rich in humor and humanity. Wish you long years so you may continue to dispense both humor and humanity as generously as before and thus witness the growth of a productive Israel to which you have devoted such efforts.”
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.
