The dedication of the site of the new Hillel Foundation at the University of Wisconsin here was marred by a missing cornerstone. The cornerstone, a 300-pound, 2-1/2 by 1-1/2 foot red granite stone was recovered later by police. It was chipped and split through, evidently when it fell from the back of a truck, according to police.
Police here said they had no leads and reported that they recovered the stone after an anonymous telephone call. They attributed the incident to “pranksters.” It was recalled that only last August a new Catholic church here was marred just before its altar was consecrated.
Dedication ceremonies of the building went ahead despite the cornerstone theft, with the participation of the University’s President, Dr. E.B. Fred, and Dr. William Haber, chairman of the national B’nai B’rith Hillel Commission. Contributions raised at the ceremony reduced the amount needed to meet all construction costs from $27,900 to less than $3,000, it was reported. The sums raised were in addition to a single pledge of $10,000 by Lewis E. Phillips, of Eau Claire, Wisc.
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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.
