Arrangements were announced today for the holding of a memorial service next Tuesday for Israel’s President Izhak Ben-Zvi under the auspices of the Israel Mission to the United Nations, the Consulate General of Israel in New York and the New York Board of Rabbis. The service, which will be held at the Kebilath Jeshurun Synagogue, will mark the conclusion of the Shivah–the seven days following the funeral of the late President.
At the United Nations, meanwhile, Philippe de Seynes, U. N. Undersecretary, paid warm tribute today to President Ben Zvi in a brief but laudatory eulogy delivered at the opening session of the ECOSOC Social Commission. When he concluded, he asked the members of the 2-nation body to stand for a minute in silent tribute to Mr. Ben-Zvi’s memory. Eighteen of the members of the Commission present, including Israel’s representative, stood. The Arab delegations–representing Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Sudan–absented themselves from the session until the Ben-Zvi tribute was over.
The Joint Distribution Committee in New York sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister Ben-Gurion in Jerusalem. The message, signed by Edward M. M. Warburg, chairman of the JDC and Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman, declared: “The death of this modest and beloved man will bring sorrow not only to the people of Israel, but to Jews throughout the world.” The National Community Relations Advisory Council also sent a message of condolence.
From London it was reported today that Queen Elizabeth II sent condolences over the death of President Ben-Zvi to Acting President Kaddish Luz. In Bonn, Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier, president of the Bundestag, the lower House of the West German Parliament, today sent a message of condolence to the Israel Government in Jerusalem. At the same time, the Government’s official Gazette carried a lengthy obituary article recalling the late Mr. Ben-Zvi’s background, career and achievements.
South Africa today officially mourned the passing of President Ben-Zvi through expressions of grief from many sections of the population–governmental, non-Jewish and Jewish. State President C.R. Swart cabled to the Israeli Government the official condolences of the Government of the Republic of South Africa. Johannesburg Mayor J. F. Oberholzer, members of the City Council, and members of the foreign consular corps attended a memorial service at the Great Synagogue in Johannesburg honoring the late Israeli President.
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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.
