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The Zionist Organization of America is the oldest, and one of the largest, pro-Israel organizations in the United States. Founded in 1897 to support the re-establishment of a Jewish State in the ancient Land of Israel, its presidents have included such illustrious Jewish leaders as Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver. The ZOA was instrumental in mobilizing the support of the U.S. government, Congress, and the American public for the creation of Israel in 1948.
A leading Israeli newspaper, Ma'ariv, recently called the ZOA "the most important organization in the American Jewish community today."
With a national membership of over 50,000 and active chapters throughout the U.S. (including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, North Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, South Jersey and Washington, D.C.), the ZOA today works to strengthen American-Israeli relations, through educational activities, public affairs programs, support for pro-Israel legislation on Capitol Hill, and by combating anti-Israel bias in the media, textbooks, travel guides, and on campuses
The ZOA also sponsors important educational and cultural programs in Israel. ZOA House is the premier cultural center in Tel Aviv. The ZOA's Kfar Silver school, on a 500-acre campus near Ashkelon, provides education and vocational training for new Jewish immigrants and others. The ZOA's youth division, Masada, sponsors one of the largest programs for sending young Jews to visit Israel.
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