| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District |
| Title: | Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District Records |
| Dates: | 1962-1975 |
| Extent: | 1.00 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | The Cleveland District of the Zionist Organization of America was formed in 1966 by the merger of Temple on the Heights District and the Temple District. The Cleveland, Ohio District is an affiliate of the national Zionist Organization of America, which was created in 1918 by the merger of the Federation of American Zionists, Young Judea, and Hadassah. Since 1948 Zionist Organization of America has shifted its role from efforts to create the state of Israel to fundraising and public relations on its behalf. The collection consists of brochures, correspondence, constitutions, minutes, paid invoices, pamphlets, resolutions, receipts, statements and purchases of security accounts, and newspaper clippings. |
| MS Number | MS 3734 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The Cleveland District of the Zionist Organization of America was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1966 as a result of a merger of three previous districts, including the Temple on the Heights District and The Temple District. Between 1966 and 1975, the organization was headed by five presidents. Gilbert Savransky held the office until Sandford Curtiss took over in the summer of 1969. When Curtiss resigned in August of 1970, Conrad Morgenstern held the office for two and one-half years. In September of 1973, Morgenstern was succeeded by Samuel Givelber for one year, who was then succeeded by Dr. Burton Dean in September of 1974.
The Cleveland District of the Zionist Organization of America was an affiliate of the national organization created in 1918. Formed out of the merger of there existing Zionist groups - the Federation of American Zionists, young Judea, and Hadassah - national Zionist Organization of America elected Louis D. Brandeis honorary president and Julian W. Mack as president at its founding convention.
From 1918 to 1921, representatives of the Zionist Organization of America participated in the work of the Zionist Commission in Palestine. After a period of activity in concert with the Emergency Committee for Zionist Affairs during World War II, the organization worked to mobilize United States support for the establishment of the state of Israel.
Since May of 1948, the national Zionist Organization of America has shifted its role from strong involvement in efforts to create the State of Israel, to one of fundraising and public relations on behalf of the newly founded state. This shift is reflected in the Cleveland District where this new emphasis on fundraising and public relations is very evident. In 1967, the Cleveland District played a vital role in the establishment of the Cleveland Zionist Emergency Council. Established by the Zionist Organization of America, under the chairmanship of Rabbi Daniel Jeremy Silver, the Council's purpose is to mobilize Cleveland Zionist organizations on Israel's behalf during periods of crisis, particularly through fundraising and public relations. The active response of the District's public affairs committee to issues relating to the American Jewish community and particularly on behalf of Soviet Jewry and the State of Israel is representative of organizational activities.
The Zionist Organization of America's support for projects in Israel - the Kfar Silver and Mollie Good High Schools - is dependent upon the success of its fundraising campaigns. Until 1970 the Kfar Silver Benefit Concert was a major event of the year, however, concerts raised insufficient funds for the needs of the projects. As a result, the presentation of the Abba Hillel Silver Humanities Award to a worthy individual was decided upon. The goal of the award was to support a perpetual scholarship at Kfar Silver High School based on funds collected prior to the dinner and presented to Kfar Silver in the name of the honoree. The award dinners in honor of Robert Taft, Jr., Gerald Ford, and Max Fisher were all very successful.
In October 1967, a women's committee was established for the purpose of conducting various fundraising projects. In August 1970, an investment club was formed that was responsible for the buying and selling of American and Israeli stocks and securities.
The programming of educational activities for both adults and youth have been essential to the organization. In December of 1867, Masada, the Zionist Organization of America youth group, was formed in Cleveland. Promoting Masada membership and finding proper facilities and a dynamic leader for the group have been topics of concern for the parent organization.
The Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District Records, 1962-1975, consist of brochures, correspondence, constitutions, minutes, paid invoices, pamphlets, resolutions, receipts, statements and purchases of security accounts, and newspaper clippings.
This collection gives insight into the relationship between the Cleveland, Ohio Jewish community and the American Zionist Organization, and to the community's mobilization during the Israeli crises of 1967 and 1973. The records also make mention of the national Zionist Organization of America, Kfar Silver and Mollie Goodman High Schools in Israel, and the Abba Hillel Silver Award. National Zionist Organization of America presidents Jacques Torczyner and Herman Weisman are also mentioned, as are Cleveland presidents Gilbert Savransky, Conrad Morgenstern, Samuel Givelber, and Dr. Burton Dean. Other individuals mentioned in the collection are Cleveland Hebraist Bea Stadler and noted tenor of the Metropolitan Opera, Jan Peerce.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult PG 188 Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District Photographs.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3734 Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of the Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland District, in 1977.
Processed by Debra Spero Applebaum in 1978.
Series I: Administrative Records 1964-1975 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Annual meetings 1968-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Board meeting attendance lists 1966-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Board of Directors miscellaneous 1970-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Board meeting minutes 1966-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Committees, including correspondence, forms, lists, minutes, and proposals 1973-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Constitutions, correspondence concerning constitutional amendments and bylaws; and constitutions of the national Zionist Organization of America 1969-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Conventions 1971-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Emergency Council meeting, attendance lists and minutes 1967 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Emergency Council, Emergency Bulletin - Middle East Crisis 1967 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Executive Committee, including minutes and correspondence 1970-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Nominating Committee 1967-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Personnel applications and letters of response 1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Presidents, national Zionist Organization of America and Cleveland regional, including correspondence and biographical information (Dean, Givelber, Morgenstern, Savransky, Torczyner, and Weisman) 1964-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Public Affairs, primarily correspondence but also includes lists, forms, and a bibliography of selected readings on Israel 1973-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Publications, Cleveland ZOA Newsletter; Perspective; ZOA Action Guidelines; and ZOA in Review 1973-1975 | |||||||||
Series II: Financial and Membership Records 1964-1975 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 15 | General financial records 1970-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Paid invoices 1973-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Israeli folk festival bills for American Zionist Fund prospects 1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Membership campaign, correspondence and ZOA membership campaign bulletin 1964-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Membership lists, including lists of prospect members; changes in address; deaths; registrations; payment of dues;and unpaid memberships 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Comparative membership reports and non-renewal membership reports 1973-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Zionist Organization of America investment club, correspondence, lists, forms, and brochures 1971-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | United States partnership Return of Income, statements of secruity accounts, and other related financial records 1973-1974 | |||||||||
Series III: Projects in Israel 1966-1975 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Abba Hillel Silver Award Dinner, including correspondence, publicity, and biographical information 1970-1972 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Abba Hillel Silver Award Dinner, including correspondence, publicity, and biographical information 1972-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | American Zionist Fund, including correspondence, receipts, and lists of prospective members 1970-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Kfar Silver Agricultural and Technical High School, including correspondence, background information, and budgets 1968-1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Kfar Silver benefit concert, including publicity, contributors, purchases, expenses, and income 1966-1970 | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | Kfar Silver scholarship brunch, including correspondence and related material 1973-1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Kfar Silver Scholarship Fund, including lists of contributors and letters of appreciation to participants in the Abba Hillel Silver Award Dinner 1961-1973 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | Mollie Goodman Academic High School in Israel, including correspondence, forms, brochures, reports, and bulletins 1972-1975 | |||||||||
Series IV: Programs and Activities 1964-1975 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Material of affiliated organizations that worked with the Zionist Organization of America for the promotion of Jewish education and culture for adults and youth in America: Cleveland Zionist Federation; Jewish Community Federation; world Zionist Council; and Zionist Congress 1964-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | Masada fundraising and correspondence, including a galley check list and other membership lists 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 30 | Programming, including correspondence, minutes, publicity, forms, and other miscellany 1972-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 31 | Programming, Lecture series and Hebrew conversational course for Board Members; Israel Today educational series; Forum Luncheon series; and Bea Stadler's mini-course at Agnon School on Hebrew writers 1969-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 32 | Women's Committee, lists of art donated to the committee and artists' resumes 1969 | |||||||||
| 1 | 33 | Youth camps, Camp Yehuda; ZOA Masada summer camp in Israel; and Cleveland summer camp 1971-1975 | |||||||||
Series V: Publicity 1962-1975 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 34 | City proclamation designating the month of February 1975 as "ZOA MONTH" in the cities of Beachwood, University Heights, and South Euclid, Ohio 1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 35 | Newspaper clippings 1962-1975 | |||||||||