100,000 Jews Attend Chanukah Festivals in Key American Cities

More than 100,000 persons attended Chanukah Festivals for Israel Bonds to celebrate Israel’s tenth anniversary in major cities of the United States and Canada. Admission to these events was by purchase of Israel bonds.

Chanukah festivals for Israel took place in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Omaha, St, Louis, Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto and other key communities. These festivals featured musical and dramatic salutes to Israel, starring outstanding American and Israeli actors, musicians, singers and dancers of opera, stage, screen and television. In New York City, the annual Chanukah Festival in Madison Square Garden attracted nearly 40,000 Israel bond purchasers at two sell-out performances.

Simcha Pratt, Israel Consul General in New York, addressing the second Chanukah festival here tonight at Madison Square Garden–attended by more than 18,000 persons expressed the thanks of the Israel Government for the support of the Israel bond drive in the United States and stressed the importance of aiding Israel to attain economic independence.

Israel is composed of a heroic synthesis, made up of builders in the field and the economic support of world Jewry as expressed in the purchase of Israel bonds,” he said. “This solidarity has enabled Israel to compress 100 years of major capital development in ten years. Without this it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to keep the gates of the country open to the homeless who find in Israel their only hope for liberty and the fulfillment of a free life.”

Dr. Israel Goldstein, chairman of the Chanukah festival committee, announced that the 1957 New York total for Israel bond investments had passed the $10,000,000 mark.