A memorial forest for American Jewish youths who died in the Israel War of Liberation was planted yesterday in the Judean Hills overlooking the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road. Mrs. Golda Myerson, Labor Minister who lived for many years in the United States, and Ivan B. White, American Charge d’Affaires, planted the first saplings in the forest.
Mrs. Myerson, speaking at the ceremony, recalled the enthusiasm and devotion with which American Jewry sent “its best sons” to fight for Israel’s independence. Brig. Gen. Dan Tolkovsky, commander of the Israel Air Force, told the gathering that American volunteers made possible the creation of the Israel Air Force.
Funds for the forest were raised in the United States by the American Veterans of Israel. (A memorial service was held in New York yesterday by the organization in connection with the Israel tree-planting ceremony.) It is estimated that between 25 and 50 of the 800 Americans in the Israel armed services died in action.
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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.
