The 100- man study mission of the United Jewish Appeal today heard an appeal from Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the Jewish Agency, for the utmost effort to prepare for the time when large masses of East European Jews would come to Israel.
Dr. Goldmann declared a “great effort” was necessary to provide Israel with the means to bring about a successful conclusion of its programs for absorbing the 900,000 immigrants who have entered Israel during the past nine years.
“Such a consolidation period is all the more essential in order to prepare ourselves for the day–which may come sooner than we think–when truly large masses of East European Jewry begin to come to Israel,” he said, in an apparent hint about Russia’s 2,500,000 Jews.
Calling for increased efforts to help avert an “economic crisis” which he said Israel was facing, the Jewish Agency leader said that Israel had over-extended itself in the process of providing haven for new immigrants throughout nearly ten years.
“Year after year, Israel has had to do more than it was able, judging from the sound economic viewpoint,” he said.
Touching on political issues, he deplored recent Russian threats against Israels existence, adding that Russia was taking a more and more openly hostile attitude toward Israel. He said Russia was “not only backing the Arab position but has even thrown out hints of the possibility of Israel’s annihilation.”
He criticized the continued arms race among the Great Powers, each side to “its Arabs,” which he said was placing Israel in the middle of a “murderous game,” requiring Israel to depend almost entirely on its own resources for defense.
Morris W. Berenstein, president of the UJA, said that in its 19 years, the UJA has aided more than 2,500,000 Jews and saved the lives of 1,300,000 rescued from danger areas.
Rabbi Herbert A, Friedman, executive vice-president of the UJA, told a press conference that the 1957 UJA campaign promised to be the most successful since 1949 with total collections of $86 million.
The UJA mission visited the Weizmann Institute at Rehovot today and laid a wreath on the grave of Israel’s first President. The UJA leaders will start a four-day tour of Israel Sunday.
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.
