American Zionist Leaders Hold Memorial Service for Ussishkin

Leaders of all Zionist parties and groups in the United States gathered today at a memorial service held for M. M. Ussishkin in the New York headquarters of the Jewish National Fund. Simple rites marked the occasion. Psalms were read by A. L. Gelman, president of Mizrachi and Mrs. David de Sole Pool, president of Hadassah. Eulogies were delivered by Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the JNF in America and by Zelman Schocken, member of the governing board of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund in Jerusalem.

Following the service, Dr. Goldstein on behalf of the directors of the Jewish National Fund in America cabled the following message to the JNF in Palestine, of which Ussishkin was president:

“Tragic news, death of our beloved and revered Menachem Ussishkin came as a thunderbolt causing profound shock and widespread grief among American Jewry. Please accept and convey to the Yishub profoundest expression of our deep mourning. A prince of the spirit has fallen in Israel. A towering figure whose great achievements for our people and its homeland will long be cherished and remembered has entered the realm of immortals. Our suffering, bleeding but unconquerable people which has for many decades loved, admired and followed him in his work for Geulath Hearets and Hebrew renascence stands at his grave with bowed heads but unshaken in the faith and hope that his life’s ideals will triumph. His ringing massage ‘Don’t despair, justice will triumph. Zion will be rebuilt, ‘will be accepted as a binding testament and inspire great numbers to follow his inspired life’s example.”