The cornerstone of the $4,000,000 Weizmann Institute of Science was laid here today on the grounds of the Sieff Institute, close by Dr. Chaim Weizmann’s home.
Distinguished scientists from the United States and Britain, led by Dr. Weizmann himself, participated in the ceremony. Not since the cornerstone of the Hebrew University was laid in 1918 has so distinguished a group of internationally renowned scientists assembled in Palestine.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Weizmann pointed out that “the war has ended, but the dreamed-of peace has not yet come. I hope science will be the angel of peace, and though it has been harnessed by the dark forces of mankind, it will overpower them and serve humanity’s higher ideals,” he continued.
“I sincerely hope that science will bring peace. I hope that this institute will bring a new inspiration to our people, whom we warned years ago that we had a maximum of ten or fifteen years to reach our goal. But our people did not listen to us. The catastrophe came and we lost millions of our brethren. God knows when we will be able to reconstruct what we lost. I hope our people will now appreciate the urgency of our revival and march towards it with hastening strides.”
Dr. Weizmann thanked the persons who had “enabled the realization of my dream” singling out Meyer Weisgal as “the living spirit of the enterprise.” He voiced particular thanks to the Histadruth for the sum of $80,000 which, it was announced at the ceremonies, it is contributing to the structure, saying that “I deeply appreciate this contribution because it comes from the sweat of Jewish workers.”
Deposited in the cornerstone, which is made of the finest Palestinian marble–and bears the inscription: “Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovoth, June 3, 1946” — was a scroll which said in part; “On this ground will arise a research institute for Bio-Physics and Physical Chemistry sponsored by the Jewish community of the United States as a token of their love and esteem for Chaim Weizmann and their attachment to this land.”
The scroll was signed by Dr. Weizmann and his wife; Chief Secretary John V.W. Shaw of the Palestine Government; Lowell C. Pinkerton, retiring U.S. Consul-General in Palestine; Sir Leon Simon, president of the Hebrew University’s board of directors, who presided at today’s ceremonies; Chief Rabbi Ben Zion Usiel and many of the scientists present. Dr. Weizmann turned the first spadeful of earth and laid down the first shovelful of concretes.
Among the speakers were Eliezer Kaplan, treasurer of the Jewish Agency; David Remez, secretary of the Jewish National Council; Prof. Louis Fieser of Harvard University; Prof. Herman Mark of Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute; Prof. Saul Adler of the Hebrew University; Dr. Shlomo Kaplansky of the Haifa Technical Institute and others.
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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.
