Forty Jewish National Fund leaders from Miami took part yesterday in groundbreaking for a new settlement to be named “Mei Ami” (pronounced Miami) on a height near the Jordanian border, south of the Jezreel Valley. The settlement was established by units of Nahal, Israel’s semi-military, semi-agricultural youth movement.
Miami Jews, raised $5,000,000 for the project, making it possible to reclaim the land needed for the settlement. A long convoy, headed by border police and armored cars, and including many old trucks and buses small enough to negotiate the narrow road, prepared by the JNF on approaches to the new settlement, made its way to the area, after leaving the main road at Hadera. The convoy had to climb the hilly region; several times it moved close to the Jordanian border. Jordanian positions were clearly visible to the Americans in the convoy.
Jacob Tzur, world chairman of the JNF, greeted the Miami contributors, particularly Dr. Zeev Kogan, a graduate of the Tel Aviv Herzlia gymnasium, who led the Miami group. Police Minister Behor Shitreet presented the greetings of the Israel Government. Dr. Kogan, in responding to the greetings, called on other American Jewish communities to follow the Miami example.
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.
