Columbia Heights and surmounted by a rectangular watchtower. Up above the city’s new cantilever highway of two levels for motor vehicles and a promenade Bethel rears itself in a commanding position, occupying now the complete block from Pineapple to Orange street and increasing the living quarters to accommodations for more than 450 persons, two in a room. A half mile away stands the factory with its new addition, a structure of concrete nine stories high, and the whole factory now extending from Adams to Pearl street and with its floor space almost doubled. Page space here does not allow for description of these fine buildings which Jehovah God has provided for equipping his visible organization to be richer than ever in good works. Let the pictures herewith describe them to you.

Dedication

1, 2. When and with what exercises was the new Bethel dedicated?

MONDAY, January 30, 1950, was set for dedication of the new Bethel to the consecrated service of the Most High God. That night the first meeting was held in the incomparable Kingdom Hall in the basement of the new home, the hall having entrances both from within the home and from the street at 136 Columbia Heights. Present are the regular Bethel family and brethren from WBBR, Staten island, and about 80 brethren recently arrived from foreign shores to enter the 15th class of Gilead, the entire gathering numbering about 400. All faces are aglow. All hearts are swelling with the joy of Jehovah. At 8 p.m. the dedication exercises open as chairman Brother Knorr announces a Kingdom song for all to sing. All heads and hearts then bowed in prayer while Brother Knorr thanked Jehovah God for His gift of the new Bethel and expressed the dedication of it wholly to the loving service into which He has called us through Jesus Christ. Brother Knorr’s dedication speech now followed. It portrayed how, in fulfillment of Jehovah’s prophecies at Isaiah chapters 54 and 60, expansion was due to come, even as it has come, and his visible organization was to be beautified, improved and better regulated for the marvelous work of bearing witness to his name and kingdom. Various features of the expansion from early times were described as detailed in our preceding pages, and Brother Knorr envisioned our spreading out within but a few years to even beyond the present home and factory when these had reached their capacity. His appeal to the brethren was to be loyal to Jehovah’s Theocratic organization and to cleave to it. He urged or invited the members of the family to make the enlarged Bethel their real home and to enjoy and use it as such to God’s glory and in furtherance of their own part in his blessed service.

² The directors of both corporations were present in full number. So Brother Knorr then called to the platform for brief speeches the Society’s vice-president, its secretary-treasurer and his assistant, then three members of the board of directors of the New York corporation who included the factory servant and the Bethel home servant, and finally the other three members of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania corporation. All voiced warm appreciation for God’s provision of the new home and its modern appointments and facilities. With earnestness they exhorted the brethren to greater love of His organization and to stick to its work here at headquarters. Concluding the speeches, Brother Knorr pointed to the advantages that the home and its family life offered, and encouraged all to be wise and take full advantage of them. A closing song by the assembly, a final prayer by the vice-president, and then the assembly adjourned to enjoy some ice-cream and cake and informal companionship together.

3. To what use was the Kingdom Hall put immediately thereafter?

³ This inaugurated regular use of the Kingdom Hall. The subsequent Thursday night the new Brooklyn Heights unit of the Greater New York company of Jehovah’s witnesses held its first weekly Theocratic Ministry school and service meeting there. The next night the Brooklyn Center unit, which had just been forced out of its Fulton Street meeting-place, held like meetings. On Sunday the weekly study of The Watchtower and public lectures were held by each of these units at its assigned time for use of Kingdom Hall. The following Monday night the Bethel family met there for its advance study of The Watchtower and its Theocratic Ministry school. After the review questions and the instructor’s talk to all the school in the Kingdom Hall the family divided up into five groups, one group staying in the hall for its three student talks and counsel, the other groups going to four other locations.

4. Where and how did WBBR open up its new studios?

⁴ In March the radio office force and studio personnel moved from Staten island into Bethel, where it has its offices and elegant studios of floating type, a large and a small one, with the control room in between. The large windows permit visitors in the observation room to clearly view all going on in the studios while they listen in on the loud-speaker. Kingdom Hall itself will be used as the largest of WBBR’s studios, the console of a new and larger organ being located westward of the speaker’s platform. The broad grill-work in front of the organ pipes is just behind and over the platform. Full-scale educational and musical programs carried on by the Bethel family will be radiocast direct from Kingdom Hall. On Sunday, March 12, at 8 a.m., WBBR initiated its broadcasting from its new Bethel studios, the Society’s president fittingly presenting the day’s text and after a musical interlude the Watchtower’s extended comment thereon, as the opening feature of the day.

5, 6. When and how was the new Bethel dining-room inaugurated?

⁵ Saturday night, April 1, marked the first celebration of the Memorial of Christ’s death held in the Kingdom Hall, first by the Brooklyn Center unit and then by the Brooklyn Heights unit, Brother Knorr conducting the latter. The following Monday, April 3, marked another step in utilizing God’s equipment for his people. For about three and a half years now the Bethel family had eaten cafeteria-style in shifts, without the former table-discussion privileges. But this morning the spacious new Bethel dining-room in the subbasement was opened up. At 7 a.m. the family were all seated, in full number, in groups of ten about each table. Forty such tables are available, besides large serving tables at the western side. Brother Knorr at the head of table No. 7, with the microphone at his place, sat at the eastern end with the entire dining-room well in view. Announcing the restoration of the morning Bethel service, he explained how it would be conducted henceforth, and then demonstrated it. He called for the reading of the day’s text in the 1950 Yearbook by a brother at his table, near the microphone. Questions on the text were called for. On each question Brother Knorr asked several members of the family, brothers and sisters, for their comment and then threw each question open for any voluntary comments. He closed the discussion by giving his own