No country exists “where such comprehensive assistance is given to new immigrants as in Israel,” Mrs. Zena Harman, member of the United Nations Israel delegation, last night told 300 Hadassah representatives at the Henry Hudson Hotel. She described the changes in the immigration picture since the establishment of the Jewish State, and pointed out that of $129,000,000 expended on housing up to March 1951, $125,000,000 went for immigrant housing.
Mrs. Harman paid tribute to the contributions being made to Israel by the various categories of Oriental Jews. Among the so-called “primitive Jews,” she cited the Yemenites, whom she characterized as “romantic, beautiful, charming and perhaps the best loved of any of the new immigrants.” She said that they had a tremendous faith, and a true love of Zion representing perhaps the purest form of Zionism. The immigrants from Iraq also can be an important factor in the population, Mrs. Harman predicted. More than 8 percent are professionals, including doctors, teachers and lawyers, she noted.
Regarding the North Africans, Mrs. Harman said that many of the French-speaking North African immigrants were closer to the European Jews than any of the Orientals in the Israel population. In absorbing new immigrants “we need an attitude of humility,” Mrs. Harman said. She particularly emphasized the need to pay more attention to social problems.
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.
