A $4,500,000 budget for ORT activities in 1957 was approved here tonight by the annual convention of the American ORT Federation attended by 500 delegates from various parts of the country. The convention also adopted a program to provide 25,000 young people in Israel, North Africa and other countries with vocational training and secondary education.
Dr. William Haber, president of the organization, told the delegates that in view of the anticipated influx of 70,000 immigrants into Israel during the next twelve months, ORT programs in that country would step up activities to provide education and vocational aid to new arrivals. He announced that a message had been received from Israel’s President Ben Zvi requesting that the convention act on this problem.
American Jews looked with disquiet at the “triple crisis” threatening Jews abroad, Dr. Haber said. He described these as “the dangerous insecurity of Israel, the emergence of a new Jewish refugee problem of people coming from Hungary and Egypt, and the smouldering crisis in North Africa where many of the 450,000 Jews have already suffered severe economic dislocations.”
George J. Mintzer, convention chairman, reported that ORT had established eight new schools for immigrants and had opened two new technical institutes in Israel last year. There are now 83 trade schools and related facilities in the ORT program in Israel, he noted. Mr. Mintzer also reported that economic distress among North African Jews had required an expansion of ORT work there. He cited the opening of adult training workshops in Marrakech, Morocco and in Tunis.
DECADE OF WORKING COOPERATION WITH J.D.C. MARKED; WARBURG HONORED
Edward M. M. Warburg, chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, received a plaque from the American ORT Federation for his organization to commemorate completion of a decade of financial agreements and working cooperation between the two agencies- Since 1947, the Joint Distribution Committee has made available $13,390,000 out of the United Jewish Appeal funds, in support of ORT vocational programs.
Mayor Robert F. Wagner of New York, addressing the convention, criticized the existing immigration laws and urged their revision. Touching on the discussion in Washington of American policy in the Middle East, the Mayor expressed the hope that “a prime principle of this policy will be the inalienable sovereignty of the State of Israel.” Other convention speakers included New York Congressman Emanuel Celler and Herbert R. Abeles, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.
The convention opened last night with a memorial meeting in honor of Dr. Aron Syngalowski, late chairman of the World ORT Union executive committee, who died in Paris October 7. Adolph Held presided at the memorial meeting. Speakers included Jacob Frumkin, Senator Herbert H. Lehman, Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, Dr. Haber and others.
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.
