The strengthening of the Zionist Organization is the task outlined in the official call to the thirty-first annual convention which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., June 29 to July 3. The delegates were asked to take counsel at the convention as to how to “safeguard that unity which alone can secure success.”
The call, signed by Louis Lipsky, read:
“The thirty-first annual convention of the Zionists of America coincides with a turning point in the history of Zionism and of the Jewish homeland. For the last two years both Palestine and the movement have passed through a searching test; today both of them stand on the threshold of a new era of expansion.
“The severe trials of the last two years have demonstrated to the world that the foundations of the Jewish homeland have been laid so firmly as to be unshakable, and that the Zionist movement is a historic force which cannot be deflected from its purpose. These years have been in the nature of an endurance test; what faces us now is a new period of opportunity, a new epoch of construction.
“Since the Balfour Declaration the Zionist movement, with America playing a leading role, has brought into Palestine, as the vanguard of the new Jewish homeland, more than one hundred thousand new settlers.
“In order that we, the Zionists of America, may sustain our reputation, and play as substantial a part in the years to come as we have done in the past, we must strengthen our organization and take council as to how we shall safeguard that unity which alone can insure success in the future. Both in Palestine and outside of it new perspectives are opening. In Palestine the crisis is fairly weathered; unemployment has practically disappeared; industry is reviving: the colonies are gaining in strength; Haifa Harbor, the Dead Sea concession, the Rutenberg electrification plan are now the symbols of a wider sweep of possibilities. And in the Diaspora the extended Jewish Agency is the symbol of a new expansion in the work for Palestine which will enlist the cooperation of all Jews.
“We shall convene this year not only to review the work which has been accomplished, but to discuss the opportunities which now lie before us, and consider in what manner they shall be safeguarded and best exploited for the benefit of Palestine. The district, chapters and camps are therefore called upon to make preparation for the convention by enrolling the full membership in the districts, and by calling meetings at which the issues to be presented to the convention will be thoroughly discussed.
“A strong and well-informed Zionist membership is the best guarantee for the success of our efforts.”
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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.
