Hundreds of Jewish war veterans from all over the world are expected to attend the Fourth World Assembly of Jewish War Veterans (WAJWV) in Jerusalem. The Assembly, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II, will take place next February 23-27 at Hotel Larom in the Israeli capital.
“This is a major event and we want to have as many Jewish war veterans as we could,” Lt. Col. (Res.) Shimon Behar, deputy chairman of the Israel War Veterans League (IWVL), said in an interview here, noting that some 1.5 million Jewish soldiers, in various armies, participated in World War II.
The Assembly, which is sponsored by the IWVL and Israel’s President, Premier and Chief of Staff, who will also address the gathering, will bring together veterans from the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark and Israel.
The week-long Assembly includes workshops, discussions and lectures on subjects relevant to Jewish war veterans as well as Israel’s security problems and prospects for peace in the Mideast; world anti-Semitism; and Jewish communities around the world. In addition, the participants will visit places of scientific, technological and agricultural interest as well as military installations.
The previous assemblies, held in Jerusalem in 1976, 1979 and 1981, attracted about 800 participants each time. “At this assembly we hope to have close to 1,000 veterans,” said Behar, who was a soldier in the Jewish Brigade of the British Army during WW II. “We hope for a large American delegation of Jewish war veterans.”
He said that American Jewish war veterans who want to attend the assembly can receive all the details and further information by calling Lea Herman, a representative of the assembly here, at (212) 947-9595 or (800) 223-9910.
“This is an important assembly not only because it will help to deepen the ties between Jewish war veterans around the world but also because it will underscore to the entire world the signiflcant role Jewish soldiers played in fighting for a freer and better world,” Behar said.
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