The auditorium of the uncompleted building of the Jewish Agency for Palestine tonight was the scene of the opening of the sessions of the Actions Committee of the World Zionist Organizations.
The hall was crowded with prominent leaders of Diaspora Jewry, Palestine Jewish leaders, non-Jewish notables and journalists. Most of the members of the Actions Committee were present for the opening of the sessions. Dr. Chaim Weizmann was absent.
Portraits of Dr. Herzl. Dr. Leo Motzkin and Dr. Chaim Arlosoroff, the last two draped in black, were the only decorations on the walls of the hall.
Dr. Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organization, opened the meeting with an eulogy of the late Dr. Leo Motzkin, permanent chairman of the Actions Committee, who died in Paris on November 7, 1933. At Dr. Sokolow’s right hand stood an empty chair draped in black, the seat customarily occupied by Dr. Motzkin. Dr. Sokolow termed Motzkin “the very embodiment of Jewish parliamentarianism.”
Menachem Mendel Ussishkin, veteran head of the Jewish National Fund, also paid a tribute to Motzkin recalling his virtues and nobility and his “imperishable services to the Jewish people.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
