Rabbi Irving Miller Elected Head of American Zionist Council

Rabbi Irving Miller, president of the Zionist Organization of America, was elected chairman of the American Zionist Council at a meeting of the plenum–the governing body–of the Council at the Astor Hotel. He succeeds to the post vacated by Louis Lipsky, who served as chairman of the Council since 1949. Mr. Lipsky announced some months ago his intention to withdraw from the chairmanship at the end of his term of office.

The plenary meeting was attended by representatives of the Council’s eight constituent organizations with a total membership of 750,000. These organizations are: Zionist Organization of America, Hadassah, Hapoel Hamizrachi, Mizrachi Organization of America, Labor Zionist Organization of America-Poale Zion, Zionists-Revisionists of America, Progressive Zionist League (Hashomer Hatzair) and United Zionist Labor Party (Achdut Avodah-Poale Zion).

The meeting elected Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Mr. Lipsky honorary chairmen. Other officers elected were: vice-chairmen–Rabbi James G. Heller, president of the Labor Zionist Organization of America, and Rabbi Mordecal Kirshblum, president of the Mizrachi Organization of America; treasurer–Charles Bick, former president of Hapoel Hamizrachi and incumbent treasurer of the American Zionist Council; secretary-Paul Goldman, general secretary of the United Zionist Labor Party.

Rabbi Miller’s election coincides with plans to enlarge the scope of activities of the American Zionist Council. These plans were approved at a meeting of the first American Zionist Assembly held in New York City early in December, 1953. The scope of the Council’s new program includes the fostering of Jewish culture and Hebrew language in American Jewish life, the intensification of Zionist youth work and greater Zionist participation in American Jewish communal affairs.