Funeral services will be held tomorrow at the Riverside Memorial Chapel for Samuel Bonchek, a founder and veteran leader of the Labor Zionist Movement of America, who died yesterday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. He was an assistant and intimate friend of some of the founders of the State of Israel, including Premier Golda Meir and the late David Ben Gurion. At his death, Mr. Bonchek was honorary president of the Labor Zionist Alliance, which he had served as national president from 1963-71.
During 70 years of Labor Zionist activities, Polish-born Mr. Bonchek was among the founders and leaders of numerous agencies, including the National Committee for Labor Israel, Labor Department of the Jewish National Fund, Government of Israel Bonds, the National Committee for the Jewish Folk Schools and the American Jewish Congress. At the age of 14 he was already active in the nascent Polish Jewish Labor Movement, helping in strikes and as a gun-runner for the self-defense committee of the Jewish workers.
Facing arrest and exile after one such exploit, he fled to the U.S., arriving in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1906 at the age of 16. In 1971, he helped bring about the unification with the Farband of the members and branches of the LZOA-Poale Zion and the American Habonim Association.
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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.
