Ten *ow Jews* NEWS
Friday, Septssober 25, 1970-11
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
and Me'
...
t
(Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA)
(Copyright 1970, JTA Inc.)
EYES ON ISRAEL: These are extraordinary times for Israel.
Leaders of more than 80 of the larger Jewish communities in the
United States were therefore summoned to New York to hear highly
important reports on the crucial stage in history for Israel, and to
understand clearly what Israel faces, and to plan wisely American
Jewish financial aid to Israel to help her meet her human needs.
The assembled community leaders—who met behind closed doors—
were stunned by the reports they heard. The magnitude of Israel's
problem, as presented to them by persons entrusted with most secret
information, came to them as a shock. This, despite the fact that many
of them have been recently in Israel.
There could only be one answer by them tn ,{he role which Amer-
ican
'can Jewry must play in this critical time. This answer was given
unanimously: Israel must get now unprecedented financial support
from American Jewry. Her entire communal structure—absorption of
immigrants, the education system, the welfare system, hospitals and
other health services—will in 1971 depend primarily on financial aid
from Jewish communities abroad, and 80 per cent of this aid must
come from the Jewish community in the United States.
It is no secret that the new military situation forces Israel to spend
the staggering sum of more than $2,000,000 a day on defense needs.
This, together with the payment of interest on foreign loans, leaves
Israel very little to spend on civilian human needs. Already overbur-
dened with heavy taxes, the Israelis faced recently the imposition of
new additional taxes as well as compulsory participation in a state
loan to be repaid many years later. These measures inevitably lead
to a tightening of the belts, but they still do not solve Israel's budgetary
requirements to properly meet her human needs.
The solution will have to come primarily from American Jewry.
•
•
•
MORATORIUMS IN U.S.: American Jewry has been helpful in
practically maintaining needy Jewish communities abroad for the last
50 years through the Joint Distribution Committee. Substantial aid to
Israel came through the United Jewish Appeal. The United Jewish
Appeal will, under the circumstances, find itself now even under
greater obligation.
It is expected from the UJA to raise in 1971 between $400,000,000
and $500,000,000. In order to visualize what this sum means, it is-suffi-
cient to say that in 1967—the year of the Six-Day War, when American
Jewry made the highest contributions for Israel—all American Jewish
philanthropic agencies raised together a total of about • $275,000,000
for Israel's humanitarian and cultural needs.
- To make the effort of the UJA easier, the Israel government now
agreed that the other campaigns in the United States on behalf of
Israeli institutions should not be conducted in 1971. Small exceptions
will be made. A joint committee, composed of representatives of the
Council of Jewish Federations, United Jewish Appeal and United
Israel Appeal will be formed to coordinate the fund-raising for Israel,
with a view of enabling the UJA to reach its goaL
-
In addition to the moratorium on all drives for Israel in this
country, the question is also being raised by American Jewish com-
munity leaders of declaring a one-year postponement of campaigns
for capital funds. The idea is that the contributions for- new buildings.
for Jewish institutions throughout the United States should be diverted
to the United Jewish Appeal to meet the emergency in Israel.
Parallel with the UJA campaign, the Israel government would
expect American Jewry to buy $400,000,000 in Israel Bonds in 1971.
This is more than twice the total of bonds bought in the critical year
of 1967. In that year of heavy support for Israel, the total of Israel
Bonds sold in the U.S. was $190,000,000.
•
•
•
CLARIFICATION STATEMENT: The full picture of the magnitude
of Israel's needs will now be brought home to each community by the
leaders who attended the urgent meeting in New York. It will emerge
more powerfully when the UJA will be ready to announce its plans
for the 1971 drive.
In the meantime the Hebrew University—one of the Israeli insti-
tutions which will be bound by the moratorium not to conduct any
fund-raising in this country in 1971—has now received a generous gift
of $500,000 from Jacob Blaustein, the well-known American Jewish
leader and philanthropist. The university will erect a building carrying
Blaustein's name.
Incidentally, Blaustein has received a warm letter frOm Israel's
Prime Minister Golda Meir fully endorsing the original understanding
he had with former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion with regard to the
relationship between Israel and Jews over the world, and especially
American Jews.
This understanding, known as "the 1950 Ben Gurion-Blaustein
Clarification Statement," was confirmed in 1963 also by the late Prime
Minister Levi Eshkol. It was reached after public statements by some
Israeli leaders were resented by the American Jewish Committee and
other American Jewish groups. The assertions of the Israeli leaderi
created the impression that Israel considered itself the representative
of the Jews throughout the world. It was feared that Israel might inter-
vene in the internal affairs of American Jewry.
The clarification statement given by Prime Minister Ben-Gurion to
Blaustein—and endorsed now by. Mrs. Meir—makes it clear that "the
Jews of the United States, as a community and as individuals, have only
one political attachment and that is to the United States of America;
they owe no political allegiance to Israel." The statement emphasizes
that "any weakening of American Jewry, any disruption of its com-
munal life, any lowering of its status, is a definite loss to Jews every-
where and to Israel in particular."
NY Jets Delay Game Start After Yom Kippur
NEW YORK (JTA) — Owners The starting time for the night
of the New York Jets professional game at Shea Stadium, pitting the
football team have changed the Jets against the Miami Dolphins,
game time of this season's first has been moved aheatito 8:45 p.m.
home game on Oct: 10 to accom- Yom Kippur ends at about sun
modate observant Jewish fans down that evening.
Boukstein to Head Weizmann Institute Executive Council
NEW YORK (JTA) — Maurice
H. Boukstein, a member of the
board of governors of the Weiz-
mann Institute since- 1949, has
been named chairman of the In-
stitute's executive council, it was
announced by Dewey D. Stone.
chairman of the bord.
Boukstein, a leading American
attorney, succeeds Meyer Weisgal,
who held the •post of chief execu-
tive officer of the Weizmann In-
stitute from 1947 until his retire-
ment in 1969, when he was named
Institute chancellor.
I3oukstein's appointment and a
strengthening of the executive
council are part of a policy initi-
ated by Dr. Albert Sabin when be
became president of the Institute
last January, Dr. Stone said. The
plan divides responsibilities of the
presidency, the board and the exe-
cutive council, placing greater
responsibility for the maintenance
of the Institute and assuring ad-
equate funds for its support on
members of the board, it was ex-
plained.
Boukstein, who is also a vice-
piesident of the American Com-
mittee for the Weizmann Institute,
has served as legal adviser to the
Jewish Agency for Israel since
1948, and as counsel to the Con-
ference on Jewish Material Claims
Against Germany since 1953. He
was a member of the 1952 Confer-
ence delegation to the Hague which
El Al Steward, Wounded
in Hijack Try, Goes Home
LONDON (JTA)—Shlomo Vider,
the 39-year-old El Al steward who
was injured in the aborted attempt
to hijack an El Al airliner Aug. 30,
was discharged from Hillingdon
County Hospital Monday and flown
back to Israel with his wife under
strict security Precautions.
A hospital spokesman said Vider
had received five bullet wounds—
three in his back and limbs, one in
his abdomen and one behind an
ear. 'Some of the bullets were ex-
tracted here, but Vider was dis-
charged for further-treatment In
Israel because he was anxious to
return home.
negotiated the agreement with
West Germany on indemnification
of victims of Nazism. He has since
been active with the the Jewish
restitution successor organization,
having served as its president and
chairman of its executive commit-
tee.
ACT
Some of our brothers and their families are the innocent victims
of recent plane hijackers. Let us respond to this heartless brutal-
ity by helping the tiny nation against whom these unconscionable
acts of terror are directed. Show your indignation by buying an
Israel Bond. Buy your, "HIJACKER'S VICTIMS SYMPATHY
BOND" today.
BERNARD EDELMAN
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