President Eisenhower today visited the Israel pavilion at the United States World Trade Fair, at the Coliseum, here, expressed great admiration for the Israel exhibit, accepted an illustrated Hebrew Bible printed in Jerusalem and posed for photographs with a group of Israelis.
Coming into the Israeli exhibit a few minutes after his arrival at the Coliseum, Mr. Eisenhower was greeted by Israel’s retiring Ambassador, Abba Eban who, in turn, presented to the President the other members of the official Israeli group. These were Economic Minister Arieh Manor; Consul-General Simcha Pratt; Nathan Raviv, Israeli trade commissioner here; and Joseph Pollack, director of the Israel pavilion.
Mr. Eban then introduced Mrs. Frances Raviv, wife of the trade commissioner, and together they presented to Mr. Eisenhower the Bible, printed in Hebrew, at Jerusalem. The Bible, bound in parchment, decorated in silver, bore a plaque reading: “Presented to Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States, in respectful tribute by the people of Israel.”
Mr. Eisenhower asked Mr. Eban whether the Bible was printed only in Hebrew, saying; “I don’t think I’ll live long enough to study Hebrew.” The Ambassador assured the President that the Bible contained also an English translation. He told the President: “Israel, as you see, exports many products, but the most important thing that came out of Israel is the Bible — and that is what we are presenting to you.”
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.
