More than 500 Jewish leaders, Israeli officials and members of the Jewish community tonight celebrated Israel’s 31st anniversary at the Bier Auditorium of the Central Synagogue in Manhattan. The event was sponsored by the American Zionist Federation (AZF).
The recently concluded peace between Egypt and Israel was clearly felt throughout the evening as every speaker referred to the prospect of a brighter future in the Mideast as a result of the first peace agreement Israel has ever signed with any of its neighbors.
“We are blessed with the privilege of celebrating the first Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day) as a day crowned with the first laurel of peace, ” declared Rabbi Joseph Sternstein, president of the AZF He added:
“It is a blessing to be cherished and savored since this is a day for which we have yearned and prayed. Let not there be any cloud of doom diluting this time of joy. Whatever challenges may confront us tomorrow, this day which marks a year which Israel consummated a full peace agreement with its largest Arab neighbor is a day of joy. We there fore salute the leaders and people of Israel and we link our arms with them in a symbolic dance of happiness and festivity.”
MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN
Sternstein noted that there are still “many awesome challenges.” In outlining them, he said: “First we are challenged as a Zionist movement to sharpen, deepen and widen Zionist identity, Zionist achievement and Zionist tasks. Secondly, we anticipate a period both of danger and opportunity, as Israel moves into the round of political debate concerning the future of Judaea and Samaria, Gaza and, above all, Jerusalem.”
In the United States, the Zionist challenge is to imbue every Jewish family with the Zionist ideal and vision, “wrestle with the problem of mobilizing a movement of aliya” and “look for a total local Jewish community which recognizes the centrality of Israel in their vision of the Jewish future, “Sternstein declared.
In addition, he observed, political, tasks for Zionists will become sharper in the months to come. “We will be called upon to lead the American Jewish community in the battle for American public opinion, with regard to many serious and complicated political issues. We will be compelled to clarify to American public opinion the two-fold question: who are the so-called Palestinians’ — and it will be imperative to expose, once and for all, the myth of a separate ‘Palestinian’ state and second; to whom does the land of Judaea and Samaria, Gaza and Jerusalem, really belong? From these two basic questions, will flow the dimensions of our political battle.”
Paul Kedar, Israel’s Consul General in New York, delivered greetings on behalf of the Israeli government. The celebration tonight took the form of a musical tribute to Israel, with American and Israeli artists and musicians participating.
OTHER ACTIVITIES MARK ANNIVERSARY
In related events, New York Governor Hugh Carey proclaimed May 2 as Israel Independence Day in New York State. In his proclamation Carey stated:
“It is highly appropriate that as the State of Israel celebrates its Independence Day, New Yorkers stand together in saluting and reaffirming our affinity and support for that nation, and that we share in the hopes for peace which have been dramatically begun by Premier Menachem Begin, President Jimmy Carter and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt through the historic signing of the peace treaty between the two nations.”
A memorial service honoring Israel’s war dead was held this afternoon by the Israeli Consulate here at Goodman House in Manhattan, with the participation of Kedar and other Israeli officials and members of New York’s Jewish community.
The major official celebration by Israel here will take place tomorrow evening at the United Nations in a reception by the Israel UN Mission for diplomats from all over the world, New York City officials and Jewish leaders. The reception will be given by Israel’s Un Ambassador Yehuda Blum and his wife. Another reception later tomorrow night will be given by Kedar and his wife at their home.
The Israeli Consulate in New York will also conduct four Independence Day receptions for Israelis in New York, where “a glass of wine” will be raised for the occasion. This is the first time that the Israeli Consulate is sponsoring such an event and it is part of a new approach by the consulate to keeper closer contact with Israelis here. The receptions will be held in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
In a statement calling Israel’s 31st anniversary its “Year of Thanksgiving,” Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the WZO-American Section, pointed out that this is the year in which the first peace treaty ever signed between Israel and any of her neighbors was achieved, the year in which there has been a resurgence in Soviet, Jewish aliya and the year in which the first Israeli-flag ship sailed through the Suez Canal in 31 years.
“Despite all of the difficulties ahead in negotiations over Palestinian ‘ autonomy, ‘ and the problems and casts in implementation of the treaty already signed with Egypt, ” Mrs. Jacobson said, ” Israel and her friends and supporters around the world celebrate this Independence Day with more hope and more optimism than they have permitted themselves to feel for many years.”
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.
