Justice Frankfurter, Ex-secretary of War Patterson Laud Israel’s Achievements

“Israel as a nation is not the resurrection of something that was dead, but the readaptation of something that had never died and always had lived,” Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter declared last night in a speech delivered before more than 2,000 guests at the inaugural dinner-concert of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He emphasized that Israel is an example of mediation between east and west.

“Externally and materially speaking, austerity prevails in Israel, but spiritually speaking, there is the most rich abundance in every domain of the mind and spirit,” Justice Frankfurter said. “In no country is there such extensive, such all-inclusive response to the needs of the mind as in Israel.”

Robert P. Patterson, former Secretary of War, another featured speaker, said: “What is it about Israel that has captured not merely the imagination but the conscience of the American people? It is the pioneering spirit of Israel. The pioneering instinct still has its strong appeal to the American people. It was in that stage of our life that our own nation grew to its great stature of today. We could see the visible product of vigorous energy and creation, and so it is as we look across the seas to Israel.” Mr. Patterson also lauded the people of Israel for their courage in fighting for their freedom and national existence.

The guests at the concert, which was conducted by Leonard Bernstein at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, enthusiastically applauded the 95-man Israeli Orchestra. The full-length program played by the orchestra was in the nature of a pre-hearing. Music critics of the New York press were asked not to give their criticism until after the orchestra’s first concert for the general public at Carnegie Hall on Saturday night, which will be conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. It will be followed the next evening by a concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein.