Ben-Gurion Recalls the ‘biltmore Declaration’ at Dinner in Biltmore

David Ben-Gurion returned tonight to the Biltmore Hotel ballroom here where, 25 years ago, he presented the historic "Biltmore Declaration" — which called for the establishment of a "Jewish commonwealth" in Palestine — to a wartime Emergency Zionist Conference. The eight-point declaration became a rallying point for almost all of American Jewry in support of the cause that led to Israel’s statehood six years later.

The 80-year-old former Prime Minister, still springy in step and spirited in voice despite his exhausting schedule, ended his four-day stay in New York City with an address to a B’nai B’rith dinner at the Biltmore Hotel where 600 guests joined him in commemorating adoption of his famous statement of aims and principles. Mr. Ben-Gurion recalled the 1942 conference, the first gathering of all major American Zionist groups since World War I. He examined a blow-up of a photograph showing conference leaders, including him, on the dais. He recalled the unanimity with which the Biltmore Declaration was accepted.

Dr. William A. Wexler, B’nai B’rith president, called the Biltmore Platform "an act of magnificent ‘hutzpah’" in its demand "that the very maximum of Jewish promise become the very minimum of Jewish reality" and its affirmation at a time when Nazi Germany dominated most of Europe. "It was not the ‘hutzpah’ of a stubborn unreasonableness but of an unreasonable stubbornness which denies the expedient, defies the insurmountable, multiplies itself as impossible barriers pile higher, and becomes an heroic expression of Jewish determination and persistence," Dr. Wexler added.

Philip M. Klutznick, a former B’nai B’rith president, called Mr. Ben-Gurion’s visit as one "encouraging us toward a new set of prophecies for an American Jewish community of greater breadth and deepening content." Mr. Klutznick said American Jewry could sustain the Israeli statesman’s plea for increasing self-knowledge "by adopting for this generation a second Biltmore Declaration of educational and cultural objectives for its own maturing that would equal in spirit and determination the political objectives of the first declaration."

SERVES AS QUIZ MASTER ON BIBLE FOR 200 YOUNGSTERS

The former Premier served today as quiz master on the Bible for 200 youngsters, between the ages of 12 and 16, who have been finalists in the national Bible contests sponsored for the past seven years by the Department of Education and Culture of the Jewish Agency for Israel, American section. The quiz was part of a reception for Mr. Ben-Gurion, who conducted the Bible Quiz entirely in Hebrew.

A highlight of the reception was the presentation of a scroll to Mr. Ben-Gurion, by a committee of past Bible contest winners, which paid tribute to his efforts in behalf of Bible study and his continued support of the Bible contest for children. Mrs. Rose L. Halprin, chairman of the American section, said that in 1960, when the Bible competition was started, there were about 2,000 contestants and "this year, we will have more than 10,000."

At another event today, Mr. Ben-Gurion was presented with a copy of the first volume published by the Tarbut Foundation in a series of modern Hebrew texts specially edited for Hebrew students at the college level. The presentation was made by Ralph Wechsler, a Tarbut Foundation board member, at a breakfast in the visitor’s honor.

Dr. Emanuel Neumann, Tarbut Foundation honorary president and member of the Jewish Agency executive, told the breakfast meeting that the publication of the texts, "designed to simplify the teaching and study of Hebrew is a new and expanded aspect of the program of the Tarbut Foundation which was established in 1962 with the generous support of Abraham and Jacob Goodman."

Abraham Goodman, president of the Tarbut Foundation, opened the event with a welcome to Mr. Ben-Gurion. Also present to honor Mr. Ben-Gurion were students from 25 Hebrew schools in Greater New York.