A Jew and Gentile Join Hands to Build Playground for Jewish, Arab Children

The president of the Chase Manhattan Bank, David Rockefeller, currently on a four day visit in Israel, this afternoon dedicated a new two-and-a-half acre park and childrens’ playground in East Jerusalem. The park is named after Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, David’s brother, and the funds for its construction have been donated by one of his admirers, Robert I. Wishnick of New York. Wishnick was a founder of the Witco Chemical Corp. in 1920 and currently has his office on Park Avenue in New York. The firm is a leader in the chemical specialties industry. The funds for the park come from the Eli Wishnick Foundation. The park is located next to the Rockefeller Museum across the road from the Old City Wall, in an entirely Arab inhabited area and is visited mainly by Arab children. In the presence of Arab notables, Mayor Teddy Kollek welcomed David Rockefeller, his wife and his daughter, Peggy. He said, “This is an example of how things should be done: A Jew in New York honors a gentile in New York by building a playground in a far away country for Jewish and Arab children. This is a symbolic affair.”

Kollek handed Rockefeller a medal for presentation to his brother, Nelson A. Rockefeller. David Rockefeller, in a short address, said he and his family were very pleased and proud to attend this dedication ceremony and that it would give him great pleasure to convey the medal to his brother. A pupil of a nearby Arab school then read an address of welcome thanking Kollek for his “excellent deed and hard work for the welfare and prosperity of the citizens.” Mrs. Rockefeller then unveiled a plaque recording the event. This morning Mr. Rockefeller and his family were the guests at breakfast of Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Allon at his home in the Old City. They discussed for some 90 minutes prospects of peace in the Middle East. Rockefeller also met with the Governor of the Bank of Israel, David Horowitz. Rockefeller recalled his previous visits to Israel in 1929 and during World War II and discussed the past and future development of Israel’s economy. Israel’s economic situation and the influence of the war effort on economic conditions as well as prospects of the economy were also discussed.