More than 450 leaders of Jewish communities from various parts of the United States and Canada will assemble in New York to discuss ways and means of continuing and expanding the Israel bond campaign in 1959, it was announced here today by Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, vice president of the Israel Bond Organization. The conference will take place the second week-end of January.
In announcing the special meeting, Dr. Schwartz declared that the Government of Israel had recently taken action, through a bill adopted by the Knesset, to launch a new Israel bond issue in the United States early in 1959. Dr. Schwartz pointed out that the decision of the Israel Government to float a new issue of Israel bonds in 1959 was based on the fact that “the Israel bond campaign has firmly established itself as a financial instrument of increased strength in meeting Israel’s economic development needs.”
More than 40,000 hailed the progress of modern Israel in New York at two performances of the stirring eighth annual Chanukah Festival for Israel at Madison Square Garden. The second performance, attended by 20,000 persons, took place tonight. The two performances, arranged by the Israel Bond Organization, helped mobilize large sums of investment capital for Israel through the sale of bonds. New high levels of Israel bond response were also recorded in Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, where similar Chanukah festivals were held.
Three of the outstanding personalities of the entertainment world were given special awards this week in recognition of their “exceptional services to the State of Israel during the first decade of its existence.” At an Ambassador’s Ball in Los Angeles, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny and George Jessel were honored by Israel Ambassador Abba Eban, who presented to them special Tenth Anniversary Awards. Admission to the ball was limited to purchasers of $1,000 or more in State of Israel bonds. Over $300,000 in bonds were sold.
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.
