U.S. Designates Hadassah to Distribute Surplus Food in Israel

The United States Government has designated Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, as the centralized agency to handle and direct the distribution of surplus American food in Israel, it was announced yesterday by Mrs. Raphael Tourover, Washington representative of Hadassah, who negotiated the agreement with the International Cooperation Administration.

Mrs. Tourover told the 3,000 delegates attending the 41st annual convention of Hadassah here, that the first shipment to Israel of surplus American food under the new authorization would be made on December 1. Involved in the first shipment will be the initial allocations of 1,000 tons of butter and 750 tons of cheese–items now in short supply in Israel. Other surplus foods will be added as they become available, Mrs. Tourover said. She estimated that approximately 250,000 persons in Israel would benefit this year from the program.

Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, for many years an active supporter of the Youth Aliyah activities of Hadassah, and who returned recently from a trip to Israel, was presented with a special certificate proclaiming her to be a “World Mother” of Youth Aliyah. The presentation was made by Dr. Miriam Freund, Youth Aliyah chairman of Hadassah, who cited Mrs. Roosevelt for “her devoted service over many years to the welfare of homeless and orphaned Jewish children of the world.”

Hadassah is expanding its vocational education program this year to reach the estimated 60 percent of Israel’s teenagers who now receive no education, Mrs. Nathan D. Perlman, chairman of the organization’s vocational education program, reported.