Leon H. Keyserling, an internationally prominent economist who served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to President Eisenhower from 1950 – 1953, was elected to be president of the National Committee for Labor Israel, American fund-raising and service agency for Histadrut, Israel’s Labor Federation, holding its 45th annual convention here. Mr. Keyserling succeeded Joseph Schlossberg, an American trade union leader, who had headed the committee since 1934.
Dr. Sol Stein, executive director, reported yesterday that nearly $5,275,000 was raised during the fiscal year ended last Sept. 30 for the health, educational, vocational training and social welfare institutions supported by Histadrut in Israel. He said the income included $3.930,000 in cash raised through the Histadrut campaign in the United States, Canada and Latin America and $1,344,000 in deferred income through the American Histadrut Development Foundation. Histadrut has two million Israeli members including 50,000 Arabs.
Mr. Keyserling, who has prepared four major studies of the Israel economy, attended the world economic conferences in Israel in 1967 and 1968 at the invitation of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and has frequently served as an economic consultant to the Israel Government. He is presently a consulting economist and attorney with offices in Washington, D.C.
Summarizing the National Committee’s achievements since its founding in 1923, Dr. Stein said that over $67 millions had been raised for the Israel Histadrut Campaign, and an additional $19.6 millions by Pioneer Women, an affiliated group, for projects of Histadrut’s Working Women’s Council. The money went toward construction of 732 medical centers throughout Israel; 177 cultural centers: 92 children’s institutions; 52 units in homes for the aged; 72 projects in vocational schools; 73 libraries; 35 synagogues; 27 sports centers and facilities; and 34 miscellaneous projects.
Yehoshua Levy, Histadrut treasurer, sent the convention a message saying that the voluntary agencies of Histadrut “must be enlarged to serve the growing population , particularly the new immigrants and the youth.” Histadrut’s medical service is the largest in Israel covering 72% of the entire population, with an annual budget of nearly $100 million dollars.
President Johnson sent greetings saying Histadrut’s efforts “closely parallel America’s efforts to build a better society” for its citizens. The National Committee raises funds among trade unions, Jewish organizations, Jewish federations and welfare funds, and individual donors.
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.
