Roosevelt Lauds Hadassah’s “good Works” in Relief of Distress

A message from President Roosevelt expressing hope for continuance of Hadassah’s work “to relieve human distress” and a cable from Dr. Chaim Weizmann asking support of Palestine as “the surest refuge of the Jewish people” were made public today on the eve of the opening of Hadassah’s 25th annual convention tomorrow night.

President Roosevelt’s message follows: “In sending my best wishes to the 25th annual convention of Hadassah, I desire to express the hope that its members will continue without abatement all the good works which they have carried on to relieve human distress.

“There will always be need in the world for the spirit of the good neighbor, and I hope that one of the fruitful consequences of the forthcoming convention will be a determination to continue in that spirit the progress of health education. It seems to me that such a program, constructively carried out, promises hope and happiness to untold numbers through the ministry of healing, always closely allied to the ministry of religion.”

Dr. Weizmann, who is now in London, stated: “The key to the gates of Palestine and to normal self-respecting life for many thousands of our people rests with a few Jewish communities still almost untouched by Europe’s distress. Among these American Jewry must clearly take the lead.” Pointing out that the greater part of the Jewish community in Europe “has been overwhelmed by catastrophe, ” Dr. Weizmann said that immigration of young people “can still continue, provided adequate funds are available for their settlement and for aiding the Palestine pioneers through the period of economic dislocation caused by the outbreak of the war.”

Miss Henrietta Szold, head of the Jerusalem office of the Youth Aliyah organization, sent greetings to her “85,000 co-workers” in the United States and urged them to stand by the half million Jews “who form the vanguard of the Jewish people” in Palestine. Governor Lehman was among others who sent messages.