Reacting to dramatic developments in the Middle East affecting Israel’s future, Jewish communities in the United States and Canada achieved a record total of Israel Bond sales amounting to $26,556,000 during the recent High Holiday program carried on in Reform, Conservative and Orthodox congregations. The announcement of the High Holiday total was made today by Leo Bernstein, vice president of the Israel Bond Organization. This year’s High Holiday results represented 51 percent increase over the total of $17,561,200 which was realized in the Rosh Hasbanah and Yom Kippur activities last year, Mr. Bernstein said. All records were broken in Los Angeles which reported a total of $4,535,550 against a 1969 High Holiday result of $2,537,650. Baltimore, a pioneer community in synagogue appeals, increased its 1969 sales of $1,625,300 to a new high this year of $2,283,550. Philadelphia went from $689,400 to a 1970 total of $1,578,900 and Toronto reached $2,186,350, as compared with the 1969 figure of $1,844,950.
The High Holiday effort has traditionally been the occasion for the launching of the fall and winter campaign for Israel Bonds, ushering in the period of the most vigorous activity in behalf of the development and strengthening of Israel’s economy. In stressing the extraordinary success of the recent New Year and Day of Atonement activities, Mr. Bernstein observed that the community consciousness of Israel’s crisis and urgent needs during this solemn period moved Jewish congregations to act with great unanimity. He added that the measure of response to the Israel Bond drive indicated an acute awareness of American and Canadian Jewry of the vital link between a strong economy and survival for the people and the State of Israel. A total of approximately 800 synagogues were enrolled in the special High Holiday effort this year. In addition, many congregations also participate in the Israel Bond campaign through special dinners and other functions under their auspices during the course of the year.
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