Jewish Colonization Association Approves Plan for Work in Israel

With construction of postwar colonies in Israel sponsored by the Jewish Colonization Association virtually completed, the Administrative Council of the JCA decided today to facilitate further development of the older settlements during 1963.

The Council approved the annual budgets for its work in various countries and reelected Sir Henry D’Avigdor Goldsmid as president and Rene Mayer of France and Max Gottschalk of Belgium as vice-presidents.

Among the measures approved for the older settlements in Israel were the construction of roads, credits to help sons of colonists with farms of their own, establishment of a revolving fund for short-term loans to cooperatives and erection of communal halls. The Council members also considered prospects for widening outlets for products of settlements, possibly through a certain degree of industrialization.

The Council members also noted that the JCA Joint program with the Jewish Agency for consolidation of the agricultural and economic position of a number of underdeveloped settlements, originally set up by the Jewish Agency, would continue.

The Agriculture Faculty of the Hebrew University, Child and Youth Aliyah, the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Mikveh Israel Agricultural School and the Agricultural Scholarship Fund of the Union of Agricultural Workers will again receive JCA financial aid.

The Council also gave special attention to the problems in France created by the mass influx of Jewish emigrants from North Africa and agreed that the JCA would continue to aid those refugees, particularly through expansion of a Housing Fund set up in 1962. The JCA contribution to integration of new arrivals in other countries also will be continued.

The JCA’s traditional interest in vocational training will be maintained in 1963 particularly by support of the work of Ort and the Alliance Israelite Universelle.