The 10,500 ton israeli steamship Zion arrived in New York this week-end on her maiden voyage from her home port of Haifa. The vessel, like her sister ship the S.S. Israel, with which she will share the Haifa to New York run, was built in Hamburg as German reparations payment to the Jewish State. It is owned by the Zim Israel America Line.
The liner was greeted by steam whistles of other ships in New York harbors, towering streams of water shot into the air by fire boats and helicopters circling overhead as she steamed toward her berth. The Zion has accommodations for 313 passengers and 5,000 tons of general cargo, and is 504 feet long and 64 feet wide. Her cruising speed is 18 knots.
In an editorial hailing the arrival of the Zion, the New York Times today said the vessel “represents the noblest and most hopeful aspect of the Zionist adventure. She symbolizes the wholesome intrusion into the Near East of Western science and technology.” The editorial concluded with a prayer that the Zion would make her voyage “in peace and in the cause of peace.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
