Plans for the construction in New York City of a Beth Zion, a Zionist Center to house the activities of the various Zionist districts and the national headquarters, were presented at a conference of the Zionist Council of Greater New York held Sunday under the chairmanship of the Hon. Carl Sherman, former Attorney General.
Philip Wattenberg, chairman of the Beth Zion Committee and Dr. A. J. Rongy, treasurer, reporter for the Committee. They presented a plan for the erection of a six floor building which should house the Zionist offices, contain a large lecture hall, library, exhibit rooms and a restaurant. One floor should be devoted to a Zionist Club. The building would cost, it was estimated, approximately $600,000. Dr. Rongy reported that there is a division of opinion as regards the locality. Some members of the Committee favor Union Square, others advocate that this building should be located in the vicinity of Times Square. He suggested a referendum vote through the Zionist periodicals to decide the location.
There are at present thirty-two Zionist districts and five young people’s Zionist clubs, two Hadassah chapters, besides a Junior Hadassah and Avukah, the Students Zionist Organization, Isaac Carmel, Executive Director of the Council reported.
During the past six weeks, Mr. Carmel reported, two new Zionist Districts were formed in University Heights and East Flatbush and one Young People’s League in Brownsville.
Mrs. Irma Lindheim, President of Hadassah, in her address expressed her satisfaction with the project to erect a Beth Zion in New York.
Dr. A. Coralnik reported on his impressions in Palestine. Louis Lipsky addressed the conference on the political situation in the Zionist movement.
The conference adopted a number of resolutions including one welcoming Dr. Weizmann on his visit to the United States.
Dr. S. M. Melamed proposed the establishment of a school for Zionist speakers and workers.
The conference decided to take steps to organize a Young People’s Zionist League throughout greater New York.
CORRECTION
The “Jewish Daily Bulletin” regrets that an error occurred in reporting the resolution on relief in Poland adopted by the Ort conference of last Sunday, which may lay the resolution open to some misunderstanding.
The correct version of the paragraph in question is: “The possibilities there for land settlement are limited, business conditions depressed and the possibilities for emigration restricted almost completely. The conference feels that in view of these conditions both the Ort and the Joint Distribution Committee should come to the aid of Polish Jewry in as large a measure as possible. In this it desires to express the thought that the tendency of the work in Poland should be toward the reconstructive activities rather than toward palliative relief.”
Julius Kohn, nineteen-year-old runner of the Ninety-second Street Y. M. H. A., Brooklyn, won the first invitation handicap run of the Brooklyn Harriers A. A., conducted over a course of five and a half miles.
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