More than 1,000 loading Jews and non-Jews, prominent in this city’s social, civic, religious and business life, paid tribute to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver here last night at a testimonial dinner arranged in his behalf. Israeli representative to the United Nations major Aubreu S. Eban, Dr. Emanuel Naumann, president of the Zionist Organization of America, Ohio Governor Thomas J. Herbert, Cleveland Mayor Thomas Burke and Dr. Abraham, J. Feldman, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, were among the principal speakers.
Paying tribute to Dr. Silver for his militant leadership in behalf of the Jewish people’s case at the U.N., Eban declared: “The Government of Israel has good cause to express its gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Silver and to join with his fellow citizens of Cleveland in this impressive tribute. The celebrated Journey across the international scene which has led Israel to statehood was inaugurated by Dr. Silver. He was the first to plead Israel’s cause before the United Nations. He was the first to announce before that tribunal the fact that Israel has risen again.”
“When the full story is told,” Dr. Naumann asserted, “the Jews of the world and of Israel will realize to what extent the courage and boldness of this one man, his sagacious statesmanship, his iron will and prodigious labors brought us through the political struggle to a brilliant glorious chapter in Jewish history. The world Zionist movement will summon him to continue to lead it in the delicate and critical transition through which it must now pass,” he added.
Expressing “heartfeld gratitude for the warm tributes” accorded him, Dr. Silver declared: “We fervently hope that the truce will eventuate in a permanent peace which will be of incalculable advantage to the stats of Israel, to all Arabs of Palestine and to the entire Middle East. We must remain on the alert to see that the period of the truce and peace negotiations are not employed to force concessions from Israel either in sovereignty or territory.”
Messages of felicitation were received from Israel. Minister to the U.S.; E1iahu Epstein; former Governor Herbert H. Lehman; Bernard Baruch; Herbert Bayard Swope; James G. McDonald, U.S. representative to Israel; Beverly D. Tucker, Bishop of Ohio; Frank Goldman, president of B’nai B’rith; Leon Gellman, president of Mizrachi; Sumner Welles; Brig. Gen. Julius Klein, president of the Jewish War Veterans, and others.
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