HIAS House, a modern hostel for scientific and technical workers from abroad engaged in developing Israel’s southern Negev, was dedicated at Beersheba today by Ben Touster, president of the United HIAS Service, which built the apartment-hotel building. Before the ceremony, Mr. Touster was made an honorary citizen of Beersheba.
Present at the dedication ceremony were Premier Moshe Sharett, Ambassador Edward B. Lawson of Israel, Rabbi Mordecai Nurock, chairman of the board of the United HIAS Service organization in Israel, and Mayor A. Tuviahu of Beersheba, as well as members of the diplomatic corps, Israel government officials and leaders of social and cultural institutions.
Mr. Touster said during the ceremony that there was a “natural similarity” between those people who built America and those who are developing the Negev. “In both cases,” he noted, “they were immigrants who brought civilization and progress to the rugged wilderness. Both were assigned by destiny to the task of building new societies where men could enjoy peaceful living.”
The three story concrete structure, with its swimming pool and other modern recreational facilities, will provide 45 modern individual apartments for scientists engineers, teachers and other professionals who will help the development of the Negev The first tenants of HIAS House are civil engineer from France and his American wife, who will teach school in Beersheba, the Alexander Khanoffs.
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