Dr. Solomon Goldman of Chicago was elected president of the Zionist Organization of America early today in the most heated election in its history. Rabbi Goldman defeated Dr. Israel Goldstein of New York by a vote of 330 to 237 at the Z.O.A.’s 41st annual convention at the Statler Hotel.
It was the first time on record that a president of the Zionist Organization was elected by democratic ballot of the convention delegates. The balloting was followed by tumultuous demonstrations for both candidates and a rise of feeling to a high pitch, climaxed when Dr. Stephen S. Wise, the retiring president, announced the result at 12:50 A.M. at the end of a five-hour session.
Dr. Goldman, in an address expressing gratitude for the honor given him, pledged everything at his disposal to the Zionist movement and declared that the thousand miles between Chicago and New York would be almost as though they did not exist, for geography would not interfere with his duties. This is the first time that anyone living outside New York has been elected president of the Z.O.A.
Dr. Goldman, who will be 45 years old on August 18, was vice-president of the Z.O.A. and is a national co-chairman of the united Palestine Appeal. He is a Conservative rabbi, head of Congregation Anshe Emet of Chicago. He was born in Kozin, Russia, and educated in New York. Dr. Goldman is the author of “A Rabbi Takes Stock” and many articles. He is married and has two children.
The presidium includes Dr. Wise, Abraham Goldberg of New York, Dr. Goldman, Dr. Goldstein, Joseph Kraemer of Newark, Judge William Lewis of Philadelphia, Louis Lipsky, Louis Rocker, Judge Morris Rothenberg, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver of Cleveland, Elihu D. Stone of Boston and Robert Szold.
Responding to a call sounded by Dr. Silver, National chairman of the U.P.A., the convention called upon American Jewry to summon all its resources to support the movement for absorption in Palestine of tens of thousands of desperate Jews stranded on Europe’s highways through aiding the United Palestine Appeal.
The convention also adopted a resolution, by acclamation, expressing gratitude to President Roosevelt for his support of the Zionist movement, and urging American Jews to fill the Jewish national fund golden book volume which has been named for him. Dr. and Mrs. Wise were the first to take a page in the book.
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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.
