David Blumberg, president of B’nai B’rith, urged 350 youngsters attending the International Convention of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization here “not to abandon the ideals and moral principles which inspired the founders and pioneers of Israel.”
“As Israel’s standard of living rises, ” Blumberg told the group which included a 32-member delegation from Israel and others from the U.S., England and Canada, “let it not too, as the United States, become fat and lazy and yield to a sense of emptiness and vapidity as we have here.”
Blumberg said the Watergate affair was demonstrating America’s strength. “The American people have demanded to know the truth and as this truth emerges, this country will emerge stronger, freer and more vigilant in defense of those ideals which we associate with its founders and pioneers.”
Referring to Israel’s 25th anniversary year, Blumberg remarked that Israel was not to be regarded as just another country by diaspora Jews but “must be a beacon light and a shining example of authentic freedom and morality, not only for itself but for all the nations of the earth.”
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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.