About - ZOA Michigan Region
ZOA has been a positive and active force in the Detroit Community. Detroiters joined together in the hopes and dreams of a Jewish State of Israel. For almost a century, ZOA has been on the forefront of public affairs, education and programming. We have always spoken up during times of joy and even more so during difficult times.
In 1933, ZOA – Michigan Region, then called the Zionist Organization of Detroit, held the first of 76 annual Balfour Celebrations. The original format was a Balfour Ball and was considered the highlight of the social season. Over the years, Balfour morphed into a cultural event at Ford Auditorium with guest artists from around the country. The Balfour Celebration kept up with the times bringing in comics, musical performances and speakers of the day.
Your membership and donations make it possible for ZOA-Michigan Region to continue our mission of educating the community. Through our Education Series, we offer free lectures on both the threats facing Israel, and the positive contributions Israel makes to the world. Our Political Action committee promotes advocacy and the righting of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic wrongs. We are in contact with our congressional members and senators to inform them of the need for a secure partnership between the United States and Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Please join ZOA-Michigan Region and allow us to continue our important work to ensure a strong and secure Israel.
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A look back in history: Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion |
ZOA-Michigan Region Presidents
| 1913 – 1915 | Moe Erlick |
| 1915 - 1917 | Dr. Noah Aronston |
| 1917 – 1920 | Rabbi A.M. Hershman |
| 1921 – 1922 | Abraham Shere |
| 1923 – 1924 | Aaron Kurlan |
| 1925 – 1927 | Maurice Zackheim |
| 1927 – 1928 | Robert Marwil |
| 1928 – 1929 | Philip Slomovitz |
| 1929 - 1932 | Simon Sletzer |
| 1931 - 1932 | Joseph Ehrlick |
| 1932 – 1934 | William Isenberg |
| 1935 – 1936 | Dr. Harry August |
| 1937 – 1940 | Lawrence Crohn |
| 1940 – 1942 | Rabbi Morris Adler |
| 1942 – 1944 | Judge James Ellman |
| 1942 – 1944 | Abraham Cooper |
| 1945 - 1946 | Rabbi Leon Fram |
| 1946 – 1950 | Leon Kay |
| 1950 – 1952 | Abe Lappin |
| 1952 – 1953 | Rabbi Milton Arm |
| 1953 – 1955 | Rabbi Moses Lehrman |
| 1956 – 1958 | Milton Marwil |
| 1958 – 1961 | Abraham Borman |
| 1962 – 1965 | Judge Ira Kaufman |
| 1965 – 1967 | Carmi Slomovitz |
| 1967 – 1968 | Richard Kramer |
| 1968 – 1970 | Louis Panush |
| 1971 – 1972 | Dr Joel Hamburger |
| 1972 – 1973 | Dr. Jack Greenberg |
| 1973 – 1975 | Dr. Sidney Leib |
| 1975 – 1976 | Dr. Theodore Mandell |
| 1977 – 1978 | Dr. Maxwell Hoffman |
| 1979 – 1980 | Sidney Silverman |
| 1981 – 1983 | Irving Laker |
| 1984 – 1985 | Leonard Herman |
| 1985 – 1988 | Sherwin Tukel |
| 1989 – 1993 | Rabbi M. Robert Syme |
| 1993 – 1994 | Anne Gonte Silver |
| 1995 – 1996 | George Mann |
| 1997 – 1999 | Dr. Jerome Kaufman |
| 2000 – 2004 | Joseph Savin |
| 2005 – 2006 | Saul Waldman |
| 2006 – 2007 | Sheldon Miller |
| 2007 – 2008 | Mark Segel |
| 2009 - 2010 |
Beverly Baker |
| 2010 - | Eugene Greenstein, Ph.D. |
The ZOA is one of the most important and influential Jewish groups in the U.S. today.
— The Jerusalem Post