William Rosenwald, American Jewish leader, was honored tonight by the United Hias Service for nearly 30 years of leadership in refugee resettlement work at a testimonial dinner in the Hotel Pierre here. The 300 guests announced $750, 000 in contributions to the United Jewish Appeal.
Speakers included Murray I. Gurfein, president of United Hias Service, Edwin Rosenberg, chairman of the organization’s national council and of the executive committee of New York U. J. A., and Dr. Ruth Gruber, author. The dinner was presided over by Herbert C. Kranzer, a vice-president of the United Hias Service.
Mr. Gurfein reported that United Hias Service, which conducts a globe-girdling program of migration and resettlement activities, has seen a great expansion of its work this year. In the first five months of 1961, he said, “UHS helped bring 2, 363 Jewish immigrants to lands of permanent resettlement in the Western world. ” This pace of activity is 60 percent above that of last year and stands out as the highest for any similar period since the exodus of Hungarian and Egyptian refugees in 1957 and 1958. Services rendered to Jewish refugees from Cuba have been an important factor in the increase, Mr. Gurfein stated.
Mr. Rosenwald praised the work of United Hias Service and called for support for its objectives, especially “in the field of liberalized immigration legislation for our own United States. ” He urged upon the guests active participation and generous contributions to the current UJA campaign.
As a memento of the dinner in his honor, Mr. Rosenwald was presented with a Bible printed in Israel and bound in silver by Israeli craftsmen. It is inscribed: “In grateful tribute to William Rosenwald. for his noble endeavors and inspired leadership in behalf of persecuted and homeless Jews throughout the world. “
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.
