American Jewry today paid tribute to President Chaim Weizmann by holding memorial services, cancelling scheduled public dinners and cabling messages of condolence to the Government of Israel and to the family of the late Israeli President.
When the news of Dr. Weizmann’s death reached the national conference of the Unites Israel Appeal today at the Hotel Commodore, the 1,200 assembled delegates converted the session into a memorial service at which Arthur Lourie, Consul General of Israel, spoke. Eulogies were also delivered by Louis Lipsky, chairman of the American Zionist Council, who worked with Dr. Weizmann from the early days of the Zionist movement, Rabbi Irving Miller, president of the Zionist Organization of America, and Rabbi Max Kirshblum, Mizrachi leader.
Numerous Zionist leaders left New York by plane today to participate in the funeral of Dr. Weizmann. They included Mrs. Rose Halprin, acting chairman of the American section of the Jewish Agency, Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the American Jewish Congress, Meyer W. Weisgal, one of the late President’s intimate friends, and others.
JEWISH AGENCY EULOGIZES PRESIDENT WEIZMANN
Prior to her departure, Mrs. Halprin issued the following statement: “Dr. Chaim Weizmann whose place in Jewish history will endure as long as our ancient people endures, combined in his person the ends and the beginnings of major convergent eras in Jewish destiny. He was the only Jewish leader in history to have been endowed with the privilege of serving his people both as Rosh Galut, the foremost in Diaspora, and as the President of a restored Israel. His personal qualities paralleled in many respects the qualities which have made for the durability of the
“To appreciate Dr. Weizmann’s inordinate services to his people, his great vision and his rare ability for implementing that vision, we must recall the struggle which preceded Zionism’s consummation, Weizmann’s many decades of traversing the globe to admonish, instruct and persuade the statemen of the world of the rightness and justice of his cause, and to in-gather, for Zionism, the hearts and sympathies and financial support of his own people which eventually culminated in their magnificent physical in-gathering from many lands.
“It has been said that the Jews of this country have lived more history, and lived it more intensely, than any other generations of Jews since the generation released from the bondage of Egypt. If that be so, Dr. Weizmann has lived this history, more comprehensively and intensely than any other person of our time. He lived it and helped shape it. Jewish history now bears the imperishable contours of his personality, and what he has wrought shall continue to influence Jewry’s and Israel’s history for generations to come.
“Enshrouded in mourning over the passing of its great leader, the World Zionist Movement is pledged to continue its efforts to implement the full program of Zionism which he helped to blueprint and to realize in so large a measure in his own lifetime.”
AMERICAN ZIONIST COUNCIL EMPHASIZES WEIZMANN’S GUIDANCE
The American Zionist Council issued the following statement: “Chaim Weizmann incorporated in himself the consecrated leadership of the Zionist movement for over 35 years. He led it through the period of the Mandate with all its difficulties. Broken in body, but not in spirit to the end, he lived to be the first President of the State of Israel, thus consummating in his life’s span the dream of Herzl. He was not only the guide and wise leader, but he inspired the pioneers and the builders to lay the foundations of the National Home. He was the founder of every worthwhile cultural institution in Israel. He established the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute at Rehovoth. He was the builder as well as the political leader.
“He was a scientist and did not believe in miracles. He had faith that justice and peace and hard work would triumph, but he was wrong. The world deceived him. In spite of his holding the balance evenly between contending factions, maintaining his faith in England long after it was entitled to such faith, his world broke down. It was only through physical resistance and defiance of forces encircling them that the people of Israel emerged triumphant.
“With him passes the grand tradition of Zionist leadership. With his death the leadership of humility and self-effacement comes to an end and a new leadership more fitted to a world at war, in which Israel too must fight for its survival, takes his high place.”
Z.O.A. PRESIDENT SAYS WEIZMANN SYMBOLIZED JEWISH ASPIRATIONS
Rabbi Irving Miller, president of the Zionist Organization of America, said in his statement; “The passing of Dr. Chaim Weizmann removes from both the Israeli and the world Jewish scenes one who, more than any other man with the exception of Herzl, symbolized in our day the aspirations and the efforts of the Jewish people for the creation of a Jewish national home. The Zionist Movement, representing
“The government and the people of Israel acknowledged his unique relationship to their newly acquired sovereignty by designating him as the first President of the State of Israel. But more meaningful than even these exalted offices in State and Movement was the love and affection which Weizmann evoked in the hearts of his fellow Jews throughout the world as he articulated for them with incomparable eloquence their poignant yearnings and profound hopes for the redemption of the Holy land, the renaissance of Jewish values and the rebirth of the Jewish people.”
Rudolf G. Sonneborn, national chairman of the United Israel Appeal, emphasized that “Dr. Weizmann dedicated his great mind and heart to the ideal and the reality of a Jewish homeland. “Meyer W. Weisgal, chairman of the executive council of the Weizmann Institute of Science, declared that “the death of President Weizmann was an irreparable loss to the cause of science, of Israel and of humanity at large.”
Dr. Harris J. Levine, president of the Jewish National Fund of America and Mendel N. Fisher, executive director, issued a joint statement emphasizing that among other things, Dr. Weizmann “was one of the pillars of the Jewish National Fund, always ready to give of his time, wisdom and prestige to the cause of the redemption of the soil of Israel. “
WOMEN’S GROUP MOURN PASSING OF DR. WEIZMANN
Mrs. Samuel J. Rosensohn, national president of Hadassah, stated: “Dr. Weizmann’s life has been a classic example of the Jewish people’s deepest conviction that man’s spirit is matured only through sacrifice and unflinching dedication to justice. By nature and training a great scientist, he deflected his rare talents into the channels of statesmanship for his peoples sake. By preference a man of thought, he galvanized himself into a man of action. He was blessed by having at his side his devoted wife and friend who shared him a blessed reward: to see the centuries-old realization of the great dream of his people for independence come true. Dr. Weizmann was truly the father of his country, and as Americans and Jews we shall honor always his selfless service, his great personal dignity, his unswerving dedication to Israel and mankind. “
Sarah Feder, national president of the Pioneer Women said: “The Pioneer Women Organization mourns the loss of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, first President of the State of Israel, humanitarian, scientist, foremost leader of the Zionist movement. He was one of the great scientists of the western world and placed his intellectual achievements at the service of the Jewish people in the Diaspora and in Israel. His name lives on as first President of the State and will continue to live on through the scientific institute which bears his name.”
Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the American Jewish Congress, said: “Dr. Weizmann’s place in history was enduringly established during his lifetime by the State of Israel. From his earliest youth, he boldly dreamed the dream of Israel’s rebirth. He brilliantly led the Jewish people throughout the half-century which brought that dream to fulfillment. His memory will remain as imperishable as the hopes out of which he built and as inspiring as the reality he created.”
(Statements were also received from Jacob Blaustein, president of the American Jewish Committee; Frank Goldman, president of B’nai B’rith;Adolph Held, president of the Jewish Labor Committee;Ben Touster, president of the HIAS, and other Jewish leaders. They will be published in the JTA Bulletin tomorrow. )
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.
