Israel’s Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Jewish Agency, is planning a new, joint department to arrange a program under which Jewish youth will be brought here from abroad for high school and university study in Israel, according to an announcement made before the World Zionist Congress this morning by Education Minister Abba Eban.
Jewry abroad, Mr. Eban declared, was “never as rich in intellectual talent as it is today. ” If only “a small fraction of these brains could be brought here,” he said, “Israel could solve many of her gravest problems, ” Lauding Israel’s export of teachers to new African nations, Mr. Eban told the Congress that “Israel is falling short by not providing enough teachers to Jewries abroad.”
Another speaker at this morning’s Congress session, which was devoted to youth problems, pioneering and education, was Abraham Schenker, a member of the Jewish Agency’s New York executive. He urged “a revision of values” among American youth. At present, he said, “there is too often the sneaking suspicion that American youths who go to Israel do so because they cannot adjust themselves to the American environment.” On the other hand, he said, Israeli youth must also change their attitudes. Israeli students, he said, must have closer relations with Jewish students from abroad.
Eliahu Dobkin, a member of the Agency executive, told the Congress that, while there are about 2, 000, 000 young Jews abroad, only about one-fourth of them are members of Jewish organizations.”Zionism’s principal task, ” he maintained, “is to make an effort to reach these young Jews and introduce a Jewish framework into their lives.”
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