A major campaign to promote Jerusalem Day May 24 throughout the United States has been launched, it was announced by Rabbi Joseph Sternstein, president of the American Zionist Federation. On that day, cities across the country will rename a main thoroughfare Jerusalem Street, he said. “This will be a major public effort and will be preceded and supported by an ongoing petition campaign directed toward official United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Sternstein stated.
According to Carmella Carr, AZF executive director, “Over 20 cities have already been contacted and their initial response to the concept was very enthusiastic.” Sternstein noted that the May 24 event is just a first step. “It is our intention to make Jerusalem Day a regular part of the community calendar,” he said.
Sternstein stressed that the success of this undertaking “will demand the full cooperation of the organized American Zionist and Jewish community.” The May 24 program, he added, is part of an international effort to demonstrate world Jewry’s unqualified support for Jerusalem. “The centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish life throughout the ages is an undisputed fact,” he said, “and we must muster all of our support, influence and determination to ensure that unified Jerusalem remains under Israeli administration.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.