“Yom Kibbutz Galuyoth”–“Day of the Ingathering of the Exiles”–was celebrated today throughout Israel on the occasion of the Jewish population of this country passing the 1,000,000 mark. The theme of the celebration emphasized the need for preparing for the arrival here of the second million Jews.
President Chaim Weizmann, in a special message, declared that with the start of the ingathering of the second million Jews, the history of Jewish immigration to Israel has reached a new chapter. Dr. Weizmann said that Jews throughout the world must realize that this wave of immigration to Israel is not a transitory but a progressive development, “since not one but many millions are imperative for the survival of our state.”
In an appeal directed to Jewish communities overseas, President Weizmann declared that the problem of siding the immigration of Israel-bound Jews must be given priority over all other problems. The road for the second million Jews proceeding to Israel, he said, must be shorter than previous immigration paths because “no foundation exists for the security of the state with only 1,000,000 Jews.”
Dr. Weizmann paid high tribute to the Israel Government and to the Jewish Agency for their activities in implementing the “ingathering of the exiles.” He also lauded the world Zionist movement for its efforts and urged that the utmost efforts be exerted to eliminate the hardships now facing “thousands of immigrants tightly-packed in reception camps.”
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.
