The first official Solidarity and Study Mission groups to Israel, under the auspices of the American Zionist Federation, were initiated with the departure for Israel this week of 104 persons. The first group composes 32 members drawn from the ranks of the Boston and the Chicago Zionist Federations. A second group of 32 participants, limited to faculty members of various universities throughout the country, were drawn together under the auspices of the Zionist Council of Arts and Sciences. A third group of 40 participants, comprised of younger professionals, are on a leadership seminar in cooperation with the Young Leadership Bureau of the World Zionist Organization in Jerusalem.
All the programs are conducted in cooperation with the Israel Seminars Foundation, an instrumentality recently initiated by the leadership of the American Zionist Federation to carry out such projects. In commenting on the groups, Rabbi Israel Miller, chairman of the ISF and president of the AZF, and Dr. Miriam Freund, chairman of the ISF Executive, said “These groups are important not only for the intrinsic value to the participants, but for the crucial element of indicating American Zionist support for the people of the State of Israel, in the crucial negotiating months that lie ahead.” Future groups are scheduled to depart on Jan. 13, 20; Feb. 3, 17, 28; and March 3 and 18.
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.