The 25th World Zionist Organization, which was scheduled to close tonight, will hold its closing session tomorrow, in view of the fact that interparty negotiations for the composition of a new executive of the Jewish Agency brought no results today. It is expected that, by tomorrow, some compromise may be reached by the bargaining parties.
In a resolution adopted by the Congress tonight, the Jewish Agency executive and the Zionist Organization of America were requested to continue working toward incorporation of major American Jewish organizations into the World Zionist Organization. Zionist regional bodies were asked to take similar steps.
The Congress ratified the policy adopted by the Agency executive and the presidium of the Zionist Actions Committee regarding the rights and obligations of organizations that will become associate members of the World Zionist Organization.
A resolution dealing with Jewish education and culture in Jewish communities outside Israel called on WZO members to mobilize “the best spiritual forces” and material means for the consolidation, expansion and intensification of Jewish education, “based on Jewish tradition and the Hebrew language.”
The resolution makes it incumbent upon every Zionist that he assure a Hebrew education for his children, and appeals to all key workers in the Zionist movement to learn Hebrew and use that language in public activities.
APPEALS TO JEWS ABROAD TO SEND CHILDREN TO ISRAEL FOR YEAR’S STUDY
The Congress appealed to Jews living outside Israel to send their children of high school or university level to Israel for at least a year’s study. To facilitate Hebrew studies abroad, the executive is pledged by the Congress to provide textbooks, reading materials and other study aids.
One resolution urged that the present Hebrew University study plan for American students be expanded. This measure also called for a system of “one year’s service in Israel” for European Jewish youth, and a year of study and work for American youth.
The broadening of the trend of youth pilgrimages and of bar mitzvah journeys to Israel was also urged by the Congress. In general, the Congress stated, “the mastering of the Hebrew language by the masses of Jewish young people in the lands outside Israel must constitute a central plan in the Zionist educational program.”
Throughout many of the resolutions, heavy stress was placed by the Congress on youth and education. “Jewish and Zionist education in the Diaspora, ” one of the major resolutions stated, “constitute the major aim of the Zionist movement at the present time.”
The Congress called on Jewish youth in countries outside of Israel to join the Zionist organizations. The present youth movement was urged to form Jewish youth organizations “for Judaism and Zionism.”
The Congress took note of the success of the first World Jewish Youth Convention held here several years ago, and endorsed a plan for the convening of a second, similar gathering which would establish “a permanent, common framework for all organized Jewish youth.”
CALLS UPON WORLD JEWRY TO RAISE $1, 000, 000, 000 IN TEN YEARS
The Congress called upon the Jewish people of the world to raise $1, 000, 000, 000 within the next ten years for the building of Israel. The resolution reaffirmed a decision that the Keren Hayesed “shall be the only fund of the Zionist Organization to conduct campaigns for Israel.” It made it obligatory on all Zionist organizations and on institutions assisted by the Jewish Agency to refrain from fund-raising of any kind, except those campaigns approved by the Agency executive.
Jews outside Israel are called on by the Congress to share the burden of youth immigration, attention being called to “financial shortages” that prevent further expansion of youth Aliyah and rehabilitation.
A resolution dealing with economic affairs welcomes the activities of the Agency’s economic department. This resolution calls the immigration of middle-class Jews and members of the “free” professions from all countries as “one of the main tasks of the Zionist movement.
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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.
