Comparing a visit to Israel in 1949 with his recent trip there, Adolph Held, national chairman of the Jewish Labor Committee, told a meeting of the organization’s administrative committee tonight that ” there have been tremendous strides made within a short span of time. What were sand dunes in the Negev in 1949 were fertile farmlands, nourished by a network of water-pipes, in June of 1955.”
He recalled his visit to Beersheba in 1949, then a small town of 5,000 persons to a thriving community in 1955 with a population of 20,000 with its own theatre and hospital. “There are hundreds of new homes,” he said, “where I recall desolate area in 1949. It is now the capital of the Negev. Haifa is now a modern port, with well-paved roads and a bustle of activity that is unmatched in comparable ports of other nations, Thousands of homes dot the horizon as far as the eye can see.”
Mr. Held paid tribute to the orderly regulation with which Jewish refugees are met as they arrive in Israel. “These refugees are taken from their ships, sent to camps and do not remain long because they are immediately given jobs and homes. This is truly a remarkable transition that the visitor can see for himself.”
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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.
