Secretary of Labor Tobin Calls for Support of Jewish State

Declaring that “the people of Israel deserve every support and encouragement for what they are doing to bolster the free way of life in their part of the world.” Secretary of Labor Maurice Tobin today told more than 600 leaders from 75 communities who attended the Tri-State Regional Conference of the United Jewish Appeal at the William Penn Hotel here that “Americans everywhere can take added encouragement themselves in the fact that the people of Israel are our friends and are modelling their new democracy on ours.”

Secretary Tobin, who recently returned from a visit to Israel and countries of the Middle East, urged all-out support of the United Jewish Appeal’s extraordinary nationwide drive to raise $35,000,000 in cash immediately in order to move 60,000 homeless Jews to Israel from areas of danger and tension, before December 31 of this year.

“I heartily endorse this campaign,” Mr. Tobin said, “and wish to add my voice in calling upon all to give the United Jewish Appeal the funds it must have to help Israel settle and absorb all those who come to its shores–men, women and children who tomorrow can be allied with us in the preservation of human liberty.”

The assembled leaders from Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, West Virginia and parts of Kentucky, responded to the call for cash issued by Secretary Tobin, Avraham Harman, director of the Israel Embassy’s Office of Information, Mayor David L. Lawrence of Pittsburgh, and other conference speakers, with an outpouring of $525,000 in cash which they presented to the Secretary during the afternoon session.

Describing his recent visit to Israel, Secretary Tobin reported being impressed “not only with that country’s industrial and agricultural progress, but with the fact that Israel gives firm and equal emphasis to the rebuilding of human lives.” Mr. Tobin pointed out that “with the help of the United Jewish Appeal, the people of Israel have received close to 700,000 refugees in the last three and one half years, and have given these once oppressed and homeless persons a new future filled with unprecedented opportunities for economic, social and spiritual betterment.

“But at this moment,” the Labor Secretary warned, “there is a dark side to the picture. Despite amazing progress in virtually every field of endeavor, the people of Israel are now beginning to feel the strain of great accomplishment. Israel at this moment is experiencing shortages of food, housing, medicines and hospital facilities–shortages resulting in large part from the great inflow of refugees from other parts of the world. U.J.A.’s current nationwide cash drive,” Mr. Tobin continued, “can in large measure help overcome these shortages.”

The Conference delegates unanimously passed resolutions praising the United States Government for acting “at all times with true regard for the welfare of Israel as a fellow democracy”; pledging to return to their communities “to work ceaselessly in the coming weeks to raise additional cash sums” for the United Jewish Appeal; and promising to “send forth assurances” to the leaders and people of Israel “that we shall not cease from unsparing effort to raise the desperately needed sums which the United Jewish Appeal must forward to Israel now, in order to continue the vital tasks of resettlement and rehabilitation in the Jewish state.”