Convention of South American Zionists Discusses Major Tasks

A two-day South American Zionist convention ended today with the adoption of resolutions promising an intense effort by all participants to assure the maximum success of the forthcoming 25th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. The 80 delegates, representing Zionist organizations in Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile, urged in one of the resolutions that the Zionist Congress find means of unifying the Jewish people around Israel.

The conference also asked for better coordination between the central Zionist bodies and the territorial organizations, particularly that the territorial organizations should be consulted in advance in the implementation of Zionist tasks. Such tasks, the delegates proposed, should be assigned exclusively through the representatives of Zionist organizations. Greater efforts were urged in another resolution for Jewish education, for wider knowledge of Hebrew and for Jewish youth.

Yaacov Tsur, former Israel Ambassador to France, told the conference that a “vague sympathy” and financial contributions by Jews to Israel was not enough and that a “profound’ Jewish culture was needed as well as a strong Zionist movement. He asked for a revival of the Zionist “missionary spirit.”

It was disclosed during the debate that the Chilean Jewish Representative Committee had associated itself with the World Zionist Organization. Isaac Goldmann, chairman of the Uruguayan Zionist Council, said that the Council had resolved unanimously to create a Uruguayan territorial Zionist federation which would open the doors for membership to any Uruguayan Jewish organization which accepted the Jerusalem program.