Zoa 70Th Convention Report

Ohe }jear in JZetiert 70th ZOA JUBILEE CONVENTION Report JULY 19-26, 1967 IN ISRAEL H3 ־׳ y ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA Ohe }jear in 3Zelien> 70th ZOA JUBILEE CONVENTION Report JULY 19-26, 1967 IN ISRAEL ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA ZOA ANNUAL DINNER, November 27, 1966, New York City. General Moshe Doyan, at microphone, delivered the principal address. A Word of introduction The relatively short period between our 69th National Convention held late last October and the present one in July was dominated by the mounting economic recession in Israel, climaxed by tense weeks of military crisis and the outbreak of the Arab-Israel war in June. Pursuit of the usual ZOA programs became subject to changes and adjust- ments. In the latter part of the season our activities took on more and more of an emergency character as our National Organization and its local Districts, in common with Zionists everywhere, rose to the mortal challenge to Israel's life and future. The ZOA undertook manifold actions in the rising crisis, both in independent initiatives and in many instances as the spearhead in joint moves with other Jewish organizations. These have been reported in some detail, in timely leadership bulletins and in our publications. It was unavoidable that such developments should affect our overall programs, both here and in Israel, threatening cancellation of our Convention. The victory of Israel's forces has brought in its wake the restoration of travel and allowed resumption of interrupted plans for our 70th Jubilee Convention. The reports on the following pages have been prepared under the impact of the epic achievement of Israeli arms shadowed by the peace-making task ahead with all its uncertainties and menaces. I believe that on balance the reports reflect creditable advances in the season under review and justify confidence in continued and accelerating progress in the year before us. The pressures of Convention preparation and the need to meet last-minute deadlines prevent me at this time from presenting a summary and analysis of our work, our achievements and shortcomings, as I have done under normal circum- stances. These will have to wait for another occasion. 3 Let me express my thanks to our President, Mr. Jacques Torczyner, and to the members of the National Administration for their wholehearted cooperation. Our President's aggressive leadership will no doubt leave its mark on the organization in the years to come. I wish also to convey my appreciation to the many ZOA leaders and workers across the country for their dedicated efforts. Last but not least, a word of thanks to my colleagues in the National Office and in the field for their loyalty and devotion to our work without which the progress we have achieved would not have been possible. LEON ILUTOVICH Executive Director 4 Public information and Opinion THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM This report of a year's activity in the area of public information and opinion is being written during the crisis days of May while we are absorbed in using all our resources to mobilize public opinion. It is gratifying that our Districts and Regions are responding with alacrity. The chief means at our disposal continues to be the successful Public Affairs Conferences with attendant stimulation of our members to activity and good pub- lie relations impact on the general public in the communities. We have held these Conferences in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, in Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Providence, Long Island, and Los Angeles. In addition, there have been numerous community meetings which, while not approaching the scale of large Conferences, have been effective. These have been held in communities throughout the United States, usually where there are campus outlets available. In the past year we have expanded our efforts to include Conferences on a number of campuses making use of the panel of experts at our larger community Conferences with invaluable assistance from such outstanding personalities as Jon Kimche of London, England and Knesset member S. Z. Abramov of Tel Aviv. These were held also in Chicago, Atlanta, Providence, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and many other places. Cooperating with the various coordinating bodies in the American Jewish community such as the Conference of Presidents, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the American Zionist Council, etc., we have engaged in efforts directed toward the problems of Soviet Jewry, the German and Austrian questions, the situation of Jews in Latin America and especially the problem of the Arab boycott. It is encouraging to report that in all of these areas, our membership has taken leading positions of influence in the communities. Many guidance memoranda and other information have been prepared and circulated throughout the country. In addition, we have used the pages of the ZOA in Review and The American Zionist to provide additional information and stimulation. We published a monograph on the Arab refugee question, prepared for us by Dr. Joseph B. Schechtman and also reprinted and distributed in the thousands the excellent leaflet by Prof. James H. Sheldon on Arab Propaganda on the Campuses. Once again it is good to report the cooperation given to us by the Department of State of the United States in providing speakers, information and help in a variety of ways. Reciprocally, we have appointed ZOA leaders, as delegates to several of the State Department's Foreign Policy Conferences in a number of cities and participated in the National Foreign Policy Conference held in Washington. We cooperate with the activities of the United Nations Association of the United States of America, the World Jewish Congress, the American Conference on Soviet Jewry and its New York Coordinating Committee. In the various activities of the latter, we have played significant roles at meetings, demonstrations and vigils in Washington, New York and elsewhere on behalf of Soviet Jewry. 5 PRESS AND PUBLICITY The year under review was marked by crucial periods requiring emergency action both in terms of counteracting Arab anti-Israel propaganda in this country and acts of aggression against Israel by the Arab states. These events were reflected in the stepped up rate of activities of the ZOA press and publicity work which found its outlet in increased coverage in the press—in the metropolitan dailies, Anglo-Jewish and Yiddish press as well as in the newspapers abroad and in Israel. The action of the ZOA in the field of public information, public rallies, conferences, briefing seminars and other events aimed at transmitting to the public an understanding of the crucial problems, were widely reported through all mass media of public communication, press, television and radio. These events were favorably reacted upon by the molders of public opinion through editorials in the press commending the work of the ZOA under the various facets of its program. Among the outstanding events sponsored by the ZOA which received exten- sive press, radio and television coverage was— • The ZOA sponsored visit to this country by Major General Moshe Dayan, as the guest speaker of the annual New York ZOA Dinner in commemora- tion of the 19th Anniversary of the UN Resolution for the establishment of the State of Israel. The Dinner was virtually beleaguered by every major television and radio network as well as by reports and feature writers from the largest newspapers from this country and abroad. Other notable ZOA items which were featured by the mass media were policy statements made by ZOA president Jacques Torczyner on the resurgence of neo-Nazism in Germany. • Protest against CIA financed propaganda by Arab students and series of public affairs briefing conferences on campuses to counteract anti-Israel propaganda by Arab students; • 24th Anniversary Observance of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at Times Square; • Proceedings of NEC meetings; • Country-wide rallies on Mid-East crisis sponsored by ZOA; • Announcements of preparations to the 70th ZOA Jubilee Convention in Israel; • Mass rally in conjunction with NEC on Nasser threatened war of aggression against Israel. TV AND RADIO The cause of Zionism and an independent state of Israel was staunchly championed in addresses and interviews transmitted as a public service over local radio stations and TV belonging virtually to all major channels. These broadcasts also included rebroadcasts of excerpts of addresses of Zionist leaders. 6 PUBLICATIONS The Press and Publicity Department continues to serve all national depart- ments as well as many Regional offices in the production of promotional and campaign materials and communications. New promotion pamphlets published include those on the Mollie Goodman Academic High School in Israel, a new illustrated brochure on all facets of the ZOA program and its activities both on the American scene and in Israel, and revised pamphlets on the ZOA House in Tel Aviv and Kfar Silver. The Department also supervises the distribution and sale of all publications such as "Zionism and Zionists in Soviet Russia" by Dr. Joseph Schechtman, "The Fallacy of Non-Involvement" by S. Z. Abramov, M.K. and the John F. Kennedy book, "Israel, Zionism and Jewish Issues." Due to the large demand for these pamphlets, these have been reprinted in second edition of 10,000 copies each. There are now in preparation pamphlets on Western Aliyah, Arab propaganda in this country and the program and ideology of General Zionism. ZOA'S Five Periodicals Our five periodicals which disseminate the ZOA message in printed form served well their respective purposes through the year. The American Zionist, official ZOA organ, completing its third year in maga- zine format, showed gratifying progress in scope and influence as a medium of Zionist thought. Writers of merit and reputation are consistently represented in its pages, and its "Forum" department affords a lively exchange of opinion and criticism.

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