Solidarity Year Plans

Seventy leaders of the Jewish community in the United States; representing Zionist and non-Zionist organizations, educational, religious and fund raising bodies, met here to translate into action the program decided upon at the recent Solidarity Conference in Jerusalem.

Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson; chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section, who called the meeting and served as its chairman, emphasized at the very outset that the purpose of the meeting was “to find the ways necessary to fulfill the promises we made in Jerusalem.” Most of those participating in the following meeting had attended the Jerusalem Conference.

Israel’s Ambassador to Washington; Simcha Dinitz, said the main goals of this follow-up meeting were to coordinate and intensify existing programs and to devise ways of reaching out beyond the organized Jewish community to Jews throughout the country. “It is entirely possible,” he said, “for a successful program to promote one million tourists to Israel during Solidarity Year.”

The consensus of the meeting held last Friday was that the Jewish community must work for a quantum jump in participation in the already existing programs and initiate new programs based on new approaches as well. To that end, 11 specific areas of activity have been selected and committees are being set up to study and report back within 30 days on the possibilities for action and innovation. All of the organizations represented at the meeting have agreed to mobilize their resources to make Solidarity Year reflect the close identification of American Jews with Israel.

The committees being named by Mrs. Jacobson are in the following areas: tourism, solidarity action. Yom Haatzmaut demonstrations. education towards Jewish commitment, youth and Israel volunteer programs, coordination of college student programs, economics and business, fundraising, international conferences, aliya and the Christian world.