The current outpouring of energy, effort and funds by the American Jewish community on behalf of the people of Israel evoked an enthusiastic response yesterday from Israeli Minister of Finance Pinhas Sapir: In a special message to American Jews, released by the United Jewish Appeal, Sapir said:
“Brothers and sisters, we are at war. Nobody could say two weeks ago it was going to happen. And now we live in days when thousands of tanks want to destroy us and to put us in the sea. Our soldiers on the frontiers are holding up. We are fighting with them. When casualty figures were released it was 700 people killed until today (Wednesday).
“You, our brothers and sisters, have to continue to make a bigger effort to absorb newcomers, people who are arriving in Israel day after day – Jews from Russia. We have to go on with our education program, we have to go on with our social welfare program, we have to build houses for people who are coming, for soldiers who come back home. And you, American Jewry as our bigger partner, indeed all of the Jews all over the world, have to play your part to be worthy of each other.”
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