Albert Bloom is New Ajpa President

The American Jewish Press Association (AJPA), which held its 39th annual meeting here last weekend, elected Albert Bloom, editor of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, as its president for the coming year. He succeeded Frank Wundohl who is leaving his post as editor of the Jewish Exponent of Philadelphia May 19 to join the National Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) in the newly-created executive staff position as director of communications.

Serving with Bloom as vice presidents will be Larry Hankin, of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle; Philip Scheier, Seattle Jewish Transcript; and Miriam Goldberg, publisher of the Intermountain Jewish News in Denver. Other officers are: Morris Maline, Omaha Jewish Press, treasurer; Vida Goldgar, Southern Israelite of Atlanta, recording secretary; Judith Manelis, of the United Jewish Appeal Record in New York City, corresponding secretary.

Resolutions adopted called upon the Reagan Administration to withdraw the proposed sale of AWACS and sophisticated weaponry to Saudi Arabia for its F-15s; condemned Syria’s action in Lebanon; praised the State Department’s expulsion of Libyan representatives; and expressed outrage over the attempted assassination of President Reagan and Pope Paul II.

In recognition of the late columnist and journalist, Bernard Postal, the AJPA established the Bernard Postal Memorial Lecture to be an annual event. Additionally, an award will be presented annually to a member publication or individual for journalistic integrity in honor of the AJPA’s “respected colleague” Joseph Polakoff who retired last month as the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Washington bureau chief.

The AJPA Golda Meir Award was presented to Philip Slomovitz, publisher and editor of The Jewish News of Detroit, who was unable to attend the meeting. The presentation to him was made through a telephone call to Detroit.