President Ben Zvi today formally dedicated the Weizmann Memorial area at Rehovoth, known as Yad Weizmann, in the opening of a week of ceremonies connected with the observance of the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, first President of Israel. The month of November will be observed as memorial month throughout the country.
This evening President Ben Zvi laid a wreath on the grave of Dr. Weizmann after a pilgrimage to the tomb by members of the family and close friends of the late President. Several hundred schoolchildren journeyed to the grave later in a torchlight parade. Religious services were held at the graveside.
Tomorrow, the memorial area will be formally opened when Mrs. Vera Weizmann cuts a ribbon across a road leading to the grounds from the nearby Tel Aviv-Rehovoth highway. This ceremony will be followed by a memorial assembly on the grounds, which will be addressed by Premier David Ben Gurion.
The project of constructing the central monument and other buildings in the memorial area is expected to take from five to seven years to complete. Beside various scientific establishments, the memorial park will include an archive of Weizmann papers and a tomb which will be constructed in the form of a cave–much like the tombs of the ancient Israelite kings. A simple tombstone will carry only the name “Chaim Weizmann.” The cost of the project will be borne by the Israel Government and the Jewish Agency.
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