Israel Tennis Center Sponsored and Funded by Group of American Jews to Be Dedicated on April 25

A retired Chicago Jewish United Fund executive said here today that the first phase of an Israel tennis center, sponsored and funded by a group of American Jews, will be dedicated April 25 in Israel by Mrs. Leah Rabin, patron of the project.

Albert Hutler, the former executive who is United States coordinator for the project, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the center in its first phase comprises 12 courts and a 1500-seat stadium. It is located at Ramat Hasharon, five miles northeast of Tel Aviv. He said the complex, when completed, will have 20 courts and a stadium seating 20,000. Hutler stated that the Israel Tennis Center Committee, which he said has its headquarters here, hopes to have the complete complex ready for the opening of the Maccabiah games in July, 1977 and that the Maccabiah tennis games will be played at the complex.

Hutler also reported that no government funds are involved in the project which he said would cost a total of about $2 million. He said the committee had received pledges of $1.1 million, with about $600,000 received to date in cash.

Hutler said the chairman of the tennis committee is Harold Landesberg of Philadelphia, an insurance executive who has served as chairman of many divisions of the Philadelphia Federation of Jewish Agencies.

He said the committee has /// Joseph Shane of Los Angeles, honorary national chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, member of the UJA Campaign Cabinet and who served as the Western region co-chairman of the UJA; and Dr. William Lippy of Warren, Ohion, a surgeon and former UJA chairman in that city. Hutler said the chairman of the board of the committee is Rubin Josephs of Monsey, N.Y., who has headed Jewish fund-raising in that city. Hutler also said that Shane initiated the project.