Mrs. Rose Halprin, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency executive in New York, today clarified her stand on emigration of American Jews to Israel in a statement issued through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
Mrs. Halprin said that “it would-be unthinkable that in the great historic process of the upbuilding of Israel–land and people–American Jews and particularly American Zionists should be found wanting.” She indicated that American Aliyah would come from these sources:
1. From those Jews who want to live a full Jewish life and find that possible only in Israel
2. From Jews possessing specific skills and know-how who will want to make those available to Israel.
3. From middle class persons with modest capital but with business and managerial skills who will want to make their contribution to the speedier achievement of Israel’s economic stability.
4. Young Jews unafraid to think in terms of idealism who will want to give working hands to Israel’s upbuilding.
Thus, she said, it is clear that American Jews will come to Israel “from positive reasons or not at all. ” She added that the Israeli community itself-would have to give consideration to the establishment of at least minimal conditions–especially minimal rental housing–for the absorption of such immigration,
Mrs. Halprin emphasized that at no time did she put the onus for lack of a minimum of American Jewish immigration on the shoulders of Israel’s Premier David Ben-Gurion, as was attributed to her in reports of her address last night at the mass meeting of the American Zionist Council here at which she was one of the principal speakers.
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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.
