The eyes of the American Jewish world are drawn to this mid-West metropolis this week-end as final preparations are under way for celebration on Tuesday of Jewish Day at the Century of Progress, and the mammoth pageant depicting Jewish life through the ages, which will climax that day.
Bulking in more than usual importance this year because of the persecution of the Jews in Germany and the consequent obligation on Palestine to offer them a place of refuge is the thirty-sixth annual convention of the Zionist Organization of America, which opens Saturday evening at the Palmer House here and will make this city the gathering place for leaders of American Jewish life.
Five thousand Zionists are expected to be present as delegates and visitors at the convention and its functions, which include a dinner to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, noted world Zionist leader, who will arrive here Sunday.
The sessions commence Saturday night with a meeting of the executive committee of the organization. Formal sessions start Sunday morning.
YOUNG ZIONISTS WILL MEET
Meeting in conjunction with the Zionist Organization will be the Youht Zionist Organization of America, which will hold its first annual conference at the Palmer House on Monday. How to unite the various youth organizations in the various cities into a single Zionist youth body will be the principal subject discussed at the conference. Seventy national and local groups are expected to be represented.
Also meeting in conjunction with the Zionist Organization will be the Histadruth Ibrith of America, which will open its sessions today. Problems concerning the development of Hebrew literature and Jewish education will be considered. Among the speakers will be M. Ribalow, editor of Hadoar.
The Harophe Hoivri, association of Hebrew-speaking physicians, will meet Saturday evening at the Palmer House. Scientific papers will be read in Hebrew, development of medical terminology in Hebrew and plans for the Hebrew University medical department will be considered.
ENCHANTED ISLE
The Jewish Day program will begin with an inaugural ball Saturday evening at the Palmer House. The day itself is planned in three parts. In the morning, a special children’s program has been arranged on Enchanted Isle in the Fair Grounds. In the afternoon will be held the final events in the athletic contests and mass drills which have been arranged in connection with the day. Over three thousand young men and women will participate in the events which will be held in the Court of the Hall of Science in the Fair Grounds.
The chief event on the program is the great spectacle, “The Romance of a People,” the pageant depicting the history of the Jews. Over thirty-five hundred people are participating in the spectacle, which is under the stage management of Isaac Van Grove, who directed the famous Channukah pageant last year. Meyer Weisgal is executive director of Jewish Day and Judge Harry M. Fisher, chairman.
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.
