“If the American Jewish community is united on anything, it is in the effort to support the immigration and absorption of scores of thousands of Jews who seek to renew their lives in Israel with the aid of the funds raised by the United Jewish Appeal, ” Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman, the organization’s executive vice-chairman told the members of the UJA’s Young Leadership Mission during their first briefing session here today.
The Young Leadership Mission is the sixth one the UJA has brought to Israel to survey Jewish resettlement and absorption activities at first hand. The present one is composed of 86 men and women in the 25-40 year age group who have demonstrated leadership abilities in local communal Jewish activities, as well as leadership potential in the broader areas of Jewish life here and abroad.
Briefing the UJA Young Leadership Mission on the current problems of Israel, Rabbi Friedman said: “Absorption of newcomers means creation of opportunities for work, education, training of newcomers. Education is the only system of building a nation and creating a people out of disparate elements. A strong defense is the only guarantee of peace in a hostile area. Water is the key to the future. Water and electric power will decide how many millions Israel can absorb. ” He added that the Young Leaders mission, by inspecting border settlements and development towns, will have a closer first-hand view of the problems of Israel in absorbing immigration than many residents of the country’s major cities.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
