Jewish youth in countries outside Israel has no greater challenge than to play an active part in the building of Israel, and contribute to the country’s advancement, economic development and cultural progress, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol declared here this evening.
In an address at the opening session of the second World Conference of Jewish Youth, Mr. Eshkol said that this generation has an opportunity “to mold the future of our people” and that the conference could have a direct influence on the lives of Jews throughout the world. The Premier recalled that Israel is the achievement of the younger generations in the Diaspora countries “which came forward over the decades to carry out the tasks of the era and realize an ancient dream. “
Former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion addressed the conference on the responsibility of Diaspora youth toward Israel, and the responsibility of Israeli youth toward the Diaspora.
Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim told the 400 delegates from 34 countries and the more than 1,000 young overseas guests from the various summer seminars here, that there was “no greater or sounder guarantee for the existence of the Jewish people than settlement in the Homeland.” He said that Jewish education faithful to Torah and the strengthening of ties between the Jewish youths in Israel and outside Israel should prepare the ground for eventual immigration.
The gala opening of the conference at Jerusalem’s Convention Center was attended by President Zalman Shazar; Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization; members of the Cabinet and the Jewish Agency executive; and Jerusalem Mayor Mordechai Ish-Shalom.
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.
