Following an all-day conference Sunday at the Hotel Statler, a Michigan State Zionist Organization was perfected to strengthen Zionist effort in the state, by increasing membership as well as the income for the American Palestine Campaign.
The conference accepted a quota of $50,000 for the state for the American Palestine Campaign for 1932-33. It also decided to set a minimum goal of 2,000 as the state’s membership in the Zionist Organization.
Simon Shetzer of Detroit, who presided at the conference, was elected president of the state organization, other officers elected being: Rabbi S. Z. Fineman of Flint, Rabbi Jerome D. Folkman of Jackson and Louis Rabinoff of Grand Rapids, vice-presidents; Mrs. Albert Feldstein of Detroit, secretary-treasurer. An executive committee of 25 was chosen to represent communities throughout the State.
The principal address at the conference was delivered by Morris Rothenberg, president of the Zionist Organization of America, who pleaded for the state’s co-operation so that he and his national executive committee may be able efficiently to carry on the important work for Palestine. Other speakers were Prof. I. Leo Sharfman, head of the economics department of the University of Michigan; Max Shulman of Chicago, president of the Midwest Zionist Region; H. H. Steinberg, chairman of the Chicago Jewish National Fund; Meyer W. Weisgal, executive director of the Midwest Region; Isaac Carmel, executive director of the Ohio Zionist Region; Mrs. Louis Lebster, president of the Hadassah Region of Michigan, and other local leaders.
A conference luncheon was arranged by the Jewish National Fund, and was presided over by Leon Kay, president of the Jewish National Fund of Detroit, with Philip Slomovitz, editor of the “Detroit Jewish Chronicle,” Mr. Steinberg of Chicago and Mr. Rothenberg as speakers.
A dinner complimenting the delegates was arranged by Hadassah, with Mrs. David Diamond, president of the Detroit chapter, presiding and with Mrs. J. H. Ehrlich as the speaker.
The conference concluded with a mass-meeting commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Jewish National Fund, with Irwin I. Cohn, chairman of the project for planting a Detroit Wood in Palestine, presiding, and Philip M. Raskin of New York, Rabbi A. H. Hershman, Leon Kay, Mr. Steinberg and Mr. Shulman of Chicago as speakers.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
