President Johnson proclaimed yesterday Ellis Island, through which millions of immigrant Jews prassed en route to American settlement, a United States historic shrine. In issuing the proclamation at a White House ceremony, the President declared that he hoped the present Congress “will draw on the lessons of Ellis Island and enact legislation to provide America with a wise immigration policy adapted to the needs of the 1960’s.”
The proclamation officially made Ellis Island a part of New York Harbor’s Statue of Liberty National Monument. The President also announced he was asking Congress for funds to make the island “a handsome shrine” to commemorate the fact that 16, 000, 000 immigrants entered the United States between 1892 and 1954 when it was closed for immigration processing.
A number of noted American Jews who passed through Ellis Island as immigrants, were cited by name by the President at the ceremony. He mentioned Irving Berlin, David Dubinsky, Justice Felix Frankfurter, Jacob Potofsky, Admiral Hyman Rickover–who was present at the ceremony–David Sarnoff and others. Referring to bills proposed by his administration, which would abolish the present national origins quota system, the President said “this long overdue change” should be enacted “without further delay.”
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