Sunday to Be Observed As National Mobilization Day for Israel Bonds

Asserting that there can be no slackening of effort while Israel is fighting for its life and freedom, Sam Rothberg, general chairman of the Israel Bond Organization, announced today that Sunday would be observed as National Mobilization Day for Israel Bonds in hundreds of communities across the United States and Canada. Rothberg announced the National Mobilization Day at a special meeting tonight with Israel Foreign Minister Abba Eban at the Israeli UN mission headquarters in New York. More than 200 leaders from New York and Canada attended the meeting.

More than 700 synagogues and practically all other local and national Jewish organizations, including country clubs and trade-groups have pledged their cooperation in Sunday’s mass effort to involve every Jewish family in active support of Israel through the sale and purchase of Israel Bonds. A total of more than $130 million has been realized in cash and commitments since the beginning of hostilities on Yom Kippur morning, the Bonds organization reported.

At the same time the National Conference on Soviet Jewry reported that it expects hundreds of thousands of people to demonstrate in more than 60 communities Sunday. In New York the rally will take place at noon at City Hall Plaza and in Washington there will be a candlelight walk sponsored by the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington.

Richard Maass, chairman of the NCSJ said: “We have received messages from Soviet Jews asking us to relay their support and unity with Israel in its present struggle. More than ever before they wish to be free to leave for Israel…” Stanley H. Lowell, chairman of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry said the rally Sunday was originally scheduled as a Simchat Torah “Festival of Freedom” for Soviet Jewry but now it will also show “support for Israel in its battle against the Arab invaders.” The theme of the rally is “Israel must remain free so that Soviet Jews can become free.”

In Washington B’nai B’rith called on its 2500 local units here and abroad to initiate emergency Israel Bond campaigns within the next several days. B’nai B’rith president David M. Blumberg in a communication directed to the organization’s lodges and women’s chapters, appealed for “an outpouring of support as a practical expression of solidarity with Israel.” Blumberg similarly called for “maximum possible response” by B’nai B’rith’s 500,000 members to the emergency UJA campaign.

A spot check by B’nai B’rith Foundations reported spontaneous rallies and fund drives by Hillel groups at many of the 80 major campuses. “Jewish students and faculty have responded quickly with their own blood drives, emergency UJA campus campaigns, solidarity rallies and other expressions of unity with Israel,” said Rabbi Max Ticktin, Hillel’s assistant national director. Rallies were held at Brandets University, the University of Miami, the University of Maryland, Cornell, Wisconsin, Boston University and other schools.

In New York a center for a free will offering from the people to donate contributions to the emergency fund of the United Jewish Appeal or sent messages to Israel, Soviet Jews or to their legislative representatives has been set up by Reform Judaism’s congregational body at its headquarters in the city.

The Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah (Council of Torah Sages) of Agudath Israel called upon Jews to “carry the responsibility together with the Jews of Israel,” and urged every Jew to “speedily help in every possible manner” for their aid and rescue. Yeshiva students in this country were called upon to learn Torah additional hours each day, to “follow the example of the Yeshiva students of Israel who cancelled the holiday recess and organized themselves to study Torah continuously twenty-four hours around the clock” as a “spiritual front to help in this difficult hour.”

In California, the Jewish Federation-Council of Greater Los Angeles, at its Board of Directors meeting this week, asked all Los Angeles Jewish organizations to set aside their own fund-raising activities in favor of raising funds for the Israel Emergency Fund or Bonds for Israel. The action was asked for “the duration of the present emergency.”

In Waltham, Mass., Brandeis University officials announced that because of the severe crisis confronting the State of Israel, the university has placed a moratorium on many of its fund-raising activities within the American Jewish community and will seek funds “only for its most essential operating needs.” In Ohio, Greater Cleveland church leaders issued a joint statement and noted with abhorrence “the cynical decision of the Syrian and Egyptian governments to launch their attack” on Yom Kippur. The church leaders, representing a cross section of all faiths, pointed out that “United Nations observers have noted that hostilities were initiated by Syrian and Egyptian aggression.”

RALLIES ABROAD ARE IN FULL SWING

In Brussels more than 10,000 persons demonstrated in support of Israel. In Montreal a rally of 1000 students in support of Israel and condemnation of Arab aggression was held on the McGill University campus. In Oslo a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy reported that a large number of Norwegian citizens had volunteered to join the Israeli forces. “We have of course turned down the offers, but we are pleased to receive such expressions of support,” the spokesman said. Not all the volunteers have had ethnic ties to Israel, the spokesman added.

In London an official at London Airport described it this morning as resembling a recruiting office for the Israeli Army with 500 young American Jews arriving at the airport enroute to Israel in four jumbo jets. In addition, 51 young American Jews arrived in a plane going to Hamburg but switched here to El Al for Lod. At the same time, several hundred British Jews are waiting for transport to Israel. El Al is running almost a shuttle service. Some of the volunteers said they had to borrow the money to pay for their fares.

Also in London an impressive demonstration of solidarity and complete identification with Israel took place at an emergency meeting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews in which chairmen of other important Anglo-Jewish bodies participated. The response of Anglo-Jewry to the war was summed up by Michael M. Sacher, chairman of the Joint Israel Appeal. He said: “As soon as the war started, it was clear to us that British Jews were ready to register their response….The honorary officers (of the JIA) have decided that there was no need for ‘an emergency appeal’ but rather for an intensified appeal for larger pledges within the framework of the 1974 campaign, and we have every reason to believe that we shall achieve twice as much as in 1973.”