Political leaders and Jewish organizations issued greetings today on the occasion of Chanukah, the traditional Festival of Lights, which begins at sundown Thursday, Dec. 4. In a message from Albany, Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, of New York, noted that Chanukah “recalls one of the most brilliant periods in the history of Israel” and added, “I welcome the occasion of Chanukah to send my warm greetings to all worshippers of the Jewish faith, with best wishes for a happy holiday.”
Mayor John V. Lindsay, of New York, was scheduled to participate in the annual kindling of the Chanukah menorah in the rotunda of City Hall on Thursday. The Israel Bond Organization of Greater New York held the first of its three annual Chanukah Festivals for Israel at Madison Square Garden tonight. The other performances will be given on Monday, Dec. 15 and Thursday, Jan. 1. The Chanukah Festival is the climax of the Bond Organization’s 1969 drive to raise $35 million for Israel.
NEW YORK ISRAEL BOND SALES PASS $28 MILLION IN 1969
The Greater New York Israel Bond Committee reported tonight that sale of bonds in the first eleven months of 1969 had reached $28.2 million, exceeding the total for all of 1968 which was $25:39 million. Except for 1967 when the Six-Day War spurred sales, this has been “the biggest sale in the history of the organization in New York.” Max Abrams, chairman of the committee, told the 20,000 bond purchasers attending the Festival at Madison Square Garden.
Philip E. Hoffman, president of the American Jewish Committee, issued a Chanukah message in which he called for reemphasis of “the eternal truth that peace and justice are indivisible.” He condemned Arab demands for a solution of the Middle East’s problems through “fire and blood” as contrary to the longings of both Christians and Jews for “peace and understanding for all mankind.”
The National Jewish Welfare Board announced that Chanukah parties had been arranged for Jewish servicemen in Vietnam and in all other overseas and domestic posts. Gifts and holiday supplies were shipped by local groups in the U.S. affiliated with the JOB Women’s Organizations’ Services. A “Vietnam Gift Wrap-Up” conducted by the JUSTUS Vietnam Committee of Los Angeles, will bring Chanukah gifts to thousands of Jewish servicemen in the Vietnam area, the JOB said.
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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.
