Emanuel Neumann Dead at 87

Dr. Emanuel Neumann, who for more than 60 years held leadership roles in the Zionist movement in the United States and Israel, died here today offer a long illness at the age of 87. He was a former chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section, serving in that capacity from 1968-72, and before the reconstitution of the Jewish Agency he served as chairman of its American Section.

Born in Libou, Latvia, Neumann came to the United States at an early age and was educated at Columbia University and New York University Law School. He was, at the time of his death, a member of the New York State Bar.

As a youth he was one of the founders of Young Judeo, during the first World War, and editor of the Young Judean magazine. He served as educational director of the Zionist Organization of America from 1918 to 1920. In 1921 he organized the Palestine Foundation Fund and was its first notional director and later its president.

In 1925 he organized the United Palestine Appeal and served for two years as chairman of its Executive Committee. From 1928 to 1930 he served as president of the Jewish Notional Fund. In 1931 he was elected a member of the World Zionist Executive and the Jewish Agency for Palestine, serving in Jerusalem. He remained in Palestine ? 1939, devoting himself to the country’s economic development, as well as vital political matters, such as his negotiations with King Abdullah, of Transjordan.

NEGOTIATED WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT

Returning to America in 1940, Neumann devoted himself during the war largely to the political affairs of the Zionist movement and for several years served as its political representative in Washington. He organized the American Palestine Committee and carried on negotiations with the State Department. As a spokesman for the movement, he testified twice before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives and was largely instrumental in securing final passage of the Palestine Resolution by both Houses of Congress in 1945.

In 1943 Neumann organized and also headed the Commission on Palestine Surveys which brought together a distinguished group of American experts to design the engineering plans known as the Jordan Valley Authority Project for hydro-electric and power developments in Palestine. This plan, encompassed in the report published under the title “TVA on the Jordan” is the blue-print used by the government of Israel in its water development and engineering program.

When the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry was established at the end of 1945, Neumann was charged with the responsibility of organizing the presentation of the Jewish case at the hearings in Washington and delivered the principal address before that body. Early the following year he proceeded to Palestine accompanied by two American engineers, for the detailed presentation of the Jordan Valley Authority Project before the Anglo-American Committee.

At the end of 1946 Neumann played a conspicuous part in the proceedings of the World Zionist Congress as a leader of the American delegation. There he was again elected a member of the World Zionist Executive and of the Jewish Agency. Early in 1947 he went to London to represent the Jewish Agency in the final negotiations with the British Foreign Minister and his associates.

ONE OF HIS MOST SIGNIFICANT SERVICES

One of his most significant services to the Jewish course was made in the fall of 1947, when he took an active part in the presentation of the Jewish close before the United Nations at Lake Success. As a member of the Jewish Agency Delegation to the United Nations, he negotiated with representatives of governments and helped to bring about the adoption of the resolution on the partition of Palestine on Nov, 29, 1947.

He was honorary president of the Zionist Organization of America and served as its president in 1947-48 and in 1956-58. From 1957 to 1963 Neumann headed the World Union of General Zionists as its president.

In 1962, Neumann founded the Tarbuth Foundation, and served as its chairman. The Foundation, of which Neumann was honorary chairman at the time of his death, had been carrying on educational and cultural activities, including the publication of modern Hebrew classics. In 1961, he received the Herzl Gold Medallion Award for “distinguished service to Zionism” awarded by the Zionist Organization of America.

Widely recognized as a writer and lecturer, Neumann was a past president of the Theodor Herzl Institute and Foundation, and former chairman of the Editorial Board of Midstream. He was a member of the Board of the United Israel Appeal and the Jewish National Fund of which he was on honorary president.