New York’s Chanukah Festival Brings $2,500,000 in Israel Bonds

The Jewish community of New York commemorated Chanukah, the Feast of Lights, tonight at a colorful city-wide festival that provided $2,500,000 in Israel Bond proceeds for the economic development of Israel.

More than 20,000 Israel Bond purchasers filled Madison Square Garden to participate in the festival, which paid tribute both to the historic victory over oppression won by Judah Maccabee and the people of Israel 2,119 years ago, and to Theodor Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, on the 50th anniversary of his death.

The high point of the celebration came when Levi Eshkol, Minister of Finance of the Israel Government, who was guest of honor, officially presented a Chanukah Torch of Freedom to the people of New York as an expression of thanks for the support they have given to Israel’s efforts to win economic independence with the aid of the State of Israel Bond drive. The Torch was accepted by Ira Guilden, chairman of the New York campaign for the Israel Bonds.

Declaring that the Chanukah festival marked the climax of the 1954 campaign for Israel Bonds in New York, Mr. Guilden, who is chairman of the Board of the Trade Bank and Trust Company and of the Title Guarantee and Trust Company, announced that the festival also initiated the beginning of “an even greater and more vigorous effort to sell Israel Bonds.”

Stressing the importance to Israel of the $2,500,000 in bonds sold for the festival, Mr. Eshkol declared that as Minister of Finance he was “keenly aware of the unique role which the Israel Bond campaign has played in strengthening Israels economic foundations.”