United Jewish Appeal trip to Israel

This film may show part of the UJA's "Destiny Drive" fundraiser, during which officials from the United Jewish Appeal philanthropic organization spent four weeks visiting Europe and Israel. Titles on screen: "Visiting the Jewish State," "Journey in Israel of the United Jewish Appeal Overseas Delegation," "Photographed by Lasar Dunner," and "Tel Aviv - only all-Jewish city in the world." CU hand draws a circle in red pencil around Tel Aviv on a map. Cars and bicycles pass on city streets. A man in a military uniform looks at advertisements posted on a freestanding pillar. Title on screen: "Former Arab villages damaged by war." Several shots of buildings in ruins. Title: "At the wine cellars in Rishon le Zion." A large group of people walk out of a building, presumably a winery. A man drinks alcohol straight from a bottle. A number of people film and take pictures of a man riding down the street on a white horse. 01:02:30 Julian Venezky shoots with his movie camera. 01:02:38 United Jewish Appeal official Samuel Rothberg uses his film camera. Title reads: "The Weizmann Scientific Institute at Rehovoth." CU hand a draws line on the map from Tel Aviv to Rehovoth. The delegation stands outside the building, then walks in. CU of sign with "Weizmann Institute of Science" written in both Hebrew and English. Title: "A visit with Dr. Chaim Weizmann - Israel's first President." Interior shot of Weizmann surrounded by people who ask questions and take notes. Title: "A bust of America's first President is presented to Dr. Weizmann as a gift from New York's Mayor O'Dwyer." CU of the bust. Men stand around and take photographs. Dr. Weizmann sits at a table wearing sunglasses as his photograph is taken. WS exterior of the building. People stand together for a group picture, and a man and woman stand on either side of Dr. Weizmann as he walks outside. Title onscreen reads: "The Beer-Yaakov immigrants' reception camp." Tents set up side by side. Shot of sign in Hebrew. CU of a man smoking a cigarette, people walk along the dirt road, and a woman pushes her baby in a stroller. CUs of two women; one holds a baby. Laundry hangs from lines outdoors. Shots of the UJA visitors touring the camp. Title reads: "At the threshold of the Negev: the damaged pumping station near Nir-Am." Shots from inside the pumping station show the sky and surrounding landscape. Four men from the UJA delegation stand together and inspect the buildings. Men exit a bunker fortified with sandbags. 01:06:47 United Jewish Appeal official Julian Venezky points into the distance. 01:07:01 Samuel Rothberg stands next to two other men. People stand together and talk and a group forms around soldiers sitting in a jeep. CUs of the soldiers as they smile and wave. Text onscreen: "Beersheba, capital of the Negev." CU hand draws a line from Rehovoth down to Nir Am, then further down to Beersheba. Truck drives down a dirt road, a man from the UJA group sits on a camel and locals talk with the visitors. 01:08:46 Title reads: "Arab prisoners in Beersheba." A man wearing a ghutra sits alongside a wall and talks to two soldiers. Other men in ghutras are lined up and guarded by a young armed solider. Title reads: "Michael Hanegbe, Military Governor of the Negev." Michael Hanegbe poses for the camera. Camera pans from a soldier's boots to his face as he stands at attention. CU sign in Hebrew on a gate. Men walk through the gate and towards a building flying the Israeli flag. Title card reads: "Jewish settlers lived in these trenches during the long bombardment of Beit Eshel, near Beersheba." People walk through the trenches, locals smile at the camera and a boy practices spinning his rifle as others, including Julian Venezky, watch. 01:10:40 Text on screen reads: "At the home of the American Ambassador James G. McDonald in Tel Aviv." Camera pans down from an American flag to a group of people standing around the flag pole. Ambassador McDonald (tall man with white hair) talks with members of the UJA delegation. In one shot McDonald's wife, Ruth, stands beside him. Aerial views of the countryside and nearby buildings. Title on screen: "Sabbath in Jerusalem." CU hand draws zigzagged line on map from circled Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Aerial shot of the city. On the streets of Jerusalem a man wearing a shtreimel carries his baby down the street. Views of storefronts and buildings. Women and children play in a park. Title reads: "Scene of the Ben Yehuda St. bombing in Jerusalem, which claimed more than fifty lives." A shot of the street shows rubble where a building fell. Title card: All of the Holy City suffered severe war damage. Pedestrians walk past damaged buildings. Text on screen: "New immigrants living in Jerusalem do essential work." Men move stones, pour concrete, and lay down a new sidewalk. 01:14:19 Title: "Kibbutz Buchenwald, founded by survivors of the infamous concentration camp." View of camp. Two men carry a crib towards a building. Women sit and sew (burlap bags?) out of doors. CUs of women's faces as they sew. Members of the UJA delegation interview two boys living in the kibbutz. A group of children dance the Hora and men and women stand together smiling. Title on screen: "Injured soldiers recuperate at Nathanya [Natanya], Famed seashore resort." CU hand draws a line from Jerusalem up to the area around Pardes Hanna on a map. Young men using canes and crutches stand in front of a bus and pose for a photo. Members of the UJA delegation stand on the beach wearing suits and coats. Title reads: "Pardess-Hanna [Pardes Hanna], Israel's largest reception camp." Aerial view of camp. WS of people and tents, a woman watches her children while hanging laundry. Nice shots of children and the visitors as they talk with residents of the camp. Title on screen: "At the Haifa Technikon, they train for Israel's new Navy." CU hand draws line from Pardes Hanna up to Haifa on the map. CU soldier stands and salutes as an Israeli flag waves in the wind and several men in naval uniforms line up. Shot of the UJA delegation, many of whom carry cameras. The Navy trainees pose for a picture. Title on screen: "The busy streets of Haifa, Israel's great port." Buses drive up and down the street, a man stands and directs traffic, various street views. Text on screen: "These ships in Haifa's port have carried tens of thousands of immigrants." Boats move across the water. Women look out from the deck of a boat, pallets of boxes are moved onto a ship and a man drives a tractor that pulls more boxes. Men and women stand in a group and speak with each other. Title on screen: "Two hundred immigrant children live at this new reception center near Alonim." Shot of a building. CUs of children's faces, three girls walk together holding hands, and a large group of kids, many wearing identical hats, look at the camera. Members of the delegation talk and laugh with the kids.Title card reads: "The co-operative settlement at Nahalal in the Emek." Camera pans past a building to a truck driving up the road. A little girl holds a woman's hand as they walk along a muddy road with another woman. Palm trees, buildings and CUs of men at the settlement. Title on screen: "Kibbutz Gvat has more than 750 members." WS of a field, people walk along paths around the kibbutz and a man talks with a group of boys. 01:22:24 Title: "At the shores of Lake Tiberias, 700 feet below sea level." CU hand draws a line on a map from Haifa to Nahalal, then to Lake Tiberias. Aerial views of the city by the water and surrounding mountains. Title card reads: "Safad, high in the hills of Lower Galilee." CU hand draws line on map from Lake Tiberias to Safad and circles it. Men walk together down a road and shot pans across the countryside to overlook a city. Several shots of streets and buildings lying in ruins. Members of the UJA delegation walk around the deserted area. Title: "Crowds of young people pass through Safad on the way to the Trumpeldor celebration at Tel Hai." Young men and women, many carrying backpacks or shoulder bags, smile at the camera. A large group of young people walk down a road while older men watch them pass. Text on screen: "Founded by Americans, Kibbutz Ein Hashofet is named after Justice Brandeis." Camera pans down a tall, narrow building. Wide shots of surrounding area. Members of the delegation walk on paths leading past trees and several buildings. Two men stand together; one points and the other laughs. A man works on a brick chimney. Title: "Yemenite Jews at Lydda shortly after their arrival from Aden via 'Operation Magic Carpet.'" Men in traditional clothing stand together. Camera pans across men's faces as they sing. A woman hands out cups and an older man adjusts his Tallit. Title: "They dance a hora to celebrate their arrival in Israel." Men dance together and one watches, smoking a cigarette. Title card reads: "The long voyage home - UJA delegates leave Israel on the last lap of their 15,000-mile survey tour." Men and women walk across an airport tarmac carrying their suitcases. They board a Trans-Caribbean Airways plane as a man stands at the top of the stairs filming them. 01:28:08 Julian Venezky turns and waves at the camera from the doorway of the plane.