The establishment of a Free Loan Foundation for Palestine Jews, modelled after the New York Hebrew Free Loan Society, was announced by Nathan Lamport on the eve of the departure of his son, Samuel C. Lamport, for Palestine Friday on the Olympic.
Mr. Nathan Lamport, who declared that he is making available at once the sum of $100,000 for the Foundation, stated that he intends to add to the sum already set aside when the organization of the Foundation will have been effected.
Mr. Lamport has authorized his son, Samuel C. Lamport, who went to Palestine in connection with various Zionist activities, to take immediate steps to organize the Foundation, which is to be known as the Lamport Free Loan Foundation of Palestine.
In his statement announcing the Foundation, Mr. Lamport said:
“The Foundation will be run very much on the same lines as our Hebrew Free Loan Society here, which has been operating so successfully for many decades. I am committed to the idea that ‘g’milath chesed’ is one of our greatest Jewish ideals–it offers those in need an opportunity to help themselves.
“I thank God for the privilege He has bestowed on me of being in a position to serve our people in Palestine in this manner. I know that they want to stand on their own feet without fear or favor from anyone. I know from my experience in Palestine that what they want from their brethren in America is encouragement towards self-help.
“I have no misgivings as to what the outcome in Palestine will be. I know that with the help of the Almighty we will have throughout Palestine hundreds of successful communities that will reflect great, lasting credit on Jewry the world over. I want to do my share in this great romance of revitalizing our Holy Land. I want to show our devoted, energetic pioneers in Palestine that American Jewry is going to take its share of the burden in Palestine in the way that I know to be most congenial to their honor, to their pride, and to the situation as it exists today.”
Mr. Lamport, who is the president of the Yeshiva College of America, was one of the first to initiate the $5,000,000 campaign for the Yeshiva College by a contribution of $100,000 which he increased to $200,000 when he celebrated his seventieth birthday recently.
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