The observance of Israel’s seventh anniversary began today throughout the United States and will last through next Friday, April 29, the American Zionist Council announced here. The anniversary itself occurs this year on Wednesday, April 27.
In a report released today, William Rosenwald, general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, summed up Israel’s achievements in the past seven years and American Jewry’s contributions to these successes. “Israel must make further great strides as she enters her eighth year and must look to generous American support of the UJA to produce a large part of the funds needed to speed both the new state’s economic development and the absorption of the continuing flow of Jewish families from lands of oppression and danger.”
Reviewing Israel’s population growth, her agricultural, irrigation and settlement progress, her industrial strides toward self-sufficiency and the vast welfare program which criss-crosses the state, Mr. Rosenwald declared: “Perhaps the most important effect of the American Jewish community’s aid to Israel through UJA was the feeling of partnership given to Israel’s self-sacrificing people. They have made and will continue to make heroic efforts of economic construction with the assurance that American Jews will continue to share in their critical tasks.”
Dewey D. Stone, national chairman of the United Israel Appeal, in a statement made in connection with Israel Independence Day, asserted that “Israel’s seventh year can certainly be considered a turning point in the country’s relentless struggle for financial stability, economic progress and the effective integration of needy newcomers. Mr. Stone noted that while very important advances have been made in the past seven years, much still remains to be done. As one example he cited the field of housing in which 110, 000 units have already been built since the state was founded, but where 75, 000 additional units are needed as a minimum.
He stressed that ” to a very important extent, American Jews have in their control the progress and development of Israel’s economy,” pointing out that the extent of American Jewish aid will determine whether the progress that Israel has made will continue or whether it will be swamped in the new flow of immigrants from North Africa. He called for American Jews to pledge themselves to “renewed and redoubled support” of Israel through the UJA.
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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.
