Page 213 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

The first delegation was that of the Sephardi Congregation of Jerusalem headed by the Rishon L'Tzion, Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, who congratulated the Executive and people for the resolution. A quarter of an hour later, a delegation of the Committee of the Jewish Community in Jerusalem entered, headed by three of its leaders: Yaakov Tahon, Chaim Solomon and Shraga Fable Meltzer. Mr. Solomon congratulated Ben-Gurion and reminded him that the question of Jerusalem is unresolved. Ben-Gurion replied that it's obviously known and that the matter would be handled by a newly established committee – "the Emergency Committee."
Another delegation came from within the building. The Committee of Jewish Agency Employees, comprising the members Yudkes, Giladi and Nemirovsky, who also came to offer their congratulations. Ben-Gurion seemed somewhat impatient, but told the members of the Committee: "Tell all the employees that they have a part in this conquest."
The meeting lasted several hours and afterwards Ben-Gurion travelled to the south of the city in order to meet with the High Commissioner Sir Alan Cunningham. Ben-Gurion already knew that not everyone was happy in the Land of Israel and that the Arabs attacked two "Egged" buses near Petah Tikva, killing six and injuring many others. These dark tidings also reached the many celebrants, yet for the moment they did not bring a stop to the celebrations. It was only around 8:00 PM on Sunday November 30, 1947, that the square in front of the National Institutions Building had emptied.
Mass rallies in the "National Square" also took place in the following years, although in smaller scales. Thus, for example, at the end of December 1948, the youth movements and the Kibbutzim movements had gathered the masses, upon the initiative of Keren heYesod, to encourage settlement in the border areas.
Celebrations were also held in the square on the Shavuot holiday. Every year, the children of kindergartens and sometimes school children in Jerusalem, would come to the National Institutions Building, in order to commemorate – as was the custom during those years – the Festival of First Fruits. That was mostly the holiday of the KKL-JNF, as it was customary to donate the baskets of first fruits and the consideration thereof. Nor was the Blue Box of KKL-JNF forgotten. Here is an item from the "Al HaMishmar" Newspaper from 1946, titled: Kindergartens bringing First Fruits to KKL-JNF.
Jerusalem – The courtyard of the National Institutions was bustling from the huge crowd of toddlers in holiday clothes and crown with flower garlands, when fifty kindergartens in the city brought the first fruits to KKL-JNF. In a beautiful ceremony with singing, the Blue Boxes were delivered to boys and girls who were dressed in white and adorned in green.
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