“Zionism can no longer base itself on emergencies; henceforth we must stress the normal and permanent,” Rabbi Irving Miller declared here last night at the closing session of the two-day annual conference of the American Zionist Council, coordinating body of all Zionist organizations in this country. Rabbi Miller, who has served as AZC chairman since 1954, was re-elected chairman for another term.
Calling for the restoration of Jewish education in this country to a primary position in the Zionist movement, Rabbi Miller said that the Hebrew day schools must play a more significant role. They must be extended and made financially sound, in order to enable parents of moderate means to send their children to schools “where our youth will be instilled with our priceless heritage, where they will learn to understand Israel’s historic role as the center of Judaism, where they will be taught to be better Jews and better citizens.”
Avraham Harman, Israel Ambassador to the United States, told the delegates that they should not be under the impression that “if you have an independent Jewish State, it will automatically radiate Jewish learning and influence.” He urged them to develop “homegrown” leadership.
Ambassador Harman said that Israel’s permanence was now being “tacitly accepted in several Arab countries,” although the Arab states still consider themselves to be at war with Israel. “There is only one road to peace in the Middle East,” he stated, “and that is through direct discussion and negotiation. For our part, we shall persevere in this direction.”
Louis Segal, chairman or the Jewish Agency’s Aliyah department, reported that, in the past year and a half, more than 1,000 Americans and Canadians went to Israel to live. He emphasized, however, that emigration from the United States consists mainly of young people imbued with idealism, and also of retired people. In order to encourage others to live in Israel, Mr. Segal said that the Zionist movement here “has an obligation to help create the necessary instrumentalities to provide better employment possibilities, modern housing and suitable credit facilities.”
Mrs. Samuel W. Halprin, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency, presided at the concluding session. Rabbi Jerome Ungar, executive director of the AZC, told the conference that “the present revolutionary and crucial period of the Zionist movement offers us opportunity and challenge. New avenues of work present themselves to us as a united Zionist movement. The challenge of doing our work in a completely independent manner is one which can restore prestige to Zionism in America.”
The conference elected Dr. Miriam Freund as chairman of the AZC executive committee. Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver and Louis Lipsky were elected honorary chairmen. Re-elected as vice-chairmen were Pinchas Cruso and Rabbi Mordecai Schechtman. Chales Bick was re-elected treasurer. Two secretaries were chosen: Paul Goldman, who was re-elected, and Avraham Schenker, was elected. Rabbi Jerome Unger, who has served as executive director for the past 11 years, was again re-elected to the post.
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.
