Zionist Organization of America, New England Region Records

Collection

Identifier: I-582

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The records of the Zionist Organization of America, New England Region consist primarily of photographs taken at events and during sponsored trips to Israel. Five of the photographs are panorama and housed in an oversize folder.

Also included in the collection are two certificates and a newspaper article, as well as a wood-bound book certifying that 10,000 trees were planted in Israel in the name of the New England Zionist Region. A final folder contains three medals presented by the government of Israel at the 80th ZOA National Convention held in Israel in July 1977. This folder also includes a marble membership award from ZOA. The collection is arranged in chronological order.

Dates

undated, circa 1921-1979

Language of Materials

The collection is in English and Hebrew.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.

Historical Note

Founded in 1918, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) rose to become the primary nonidealogical group in the United States working to establish a Jewish state in the historic land of Israel. The group’s original goals were authored by Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and based on those of the World Zionist Organization, of which the ZOA is a member. The goals were to ensure equality for all inhabitants of the area, support increased Jewish ownership of land and resources, encourage cooperation and sharing of land and resources among the Jewish people, offer free public instruction, and develop Hebrew as the language of the Jewish people. Today, the ZOA works to strengthen cultural and economic ties between the United States and Israel.

The ZOA is organized into regional branches, of which the New England Region is one, and then into local chapters of twenty-five or more members. The New England Zionist Region was originally based in Boston and was incorporated in Massachusetts as a non-profit in 1934. Though relatively small in terms of membership, the group was nonetheless influential as the home of Brandeis and other prominent Zionists, including Elihu D. Stone, who served as president of the New England Zionist Region and brought about the 1922 United States Congressional resolution that endorsed the creation of a Jewish home in Palestine.

The New England Zionist Region held a yearly convention to strategize and raise money for its charitable endeavors. Members from around New England, as well as ZOA national directors, would attend. The group also hosted Zionist leaders from around the world, including Dr. Albert Einstein, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who became the first president of Israel, and Nahum Sokolow, who later served as President of the World Zionist Congress.

The New England Zionist Region is now the New York/New England region, and local chapters are based in the five boroughs of New York City. There do not appear to be any active chapters in the rest of New England.

References

Material from the collection.
Sarna, Jonathan D., et al. eds. The Jews of Boston. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005)

Chronology

1918
: The Zionist Organzation of America is established.
1921
: The New England Zionist Region hosts a banquet in honor of Drs. Chaim Weizmann and Albert Einstein.
1922
: The New England Zionist Region hosts a banquet in honor of the Nahum Sokolow Commission.
1934
: The New England Zionist Region is incorporated as a non-profit in Massachusetts.
1941
: The 25th Annual Convention is held.

Extent

0.25 linear feet (1 half-manuscript box, 1 oversized folder)

Additional Description

Abstract

The New England Zionist Region is a regional branch of the Zionist Organization of America. The group was originally based in Boston and was associated with prominent leaders in the Zionist movement, including Louis Brandeis and Elihu Stone. The collection primarily consists of photographs taken at events hosted by the branch, including annual conventions and banquets honoring Drs. Chaim Weizmann and Albert Einstein, and Nahum Sokolow. The collection also contains a small group of documents and objects related to member events.