Louis Lipsky Papers

Louis Lipsky, noted Zionist leader, journalist and author, was born in Rochester, N.Y. in 1876. He was one of 11 children. The family came from a Polish town called Philipova, a village near Suwalk. The Jewish community of Rochester was almost entirely made up of landsmen from this area of Poland, and much of the gentile Polish immigrants were also from the same area. Louis' father, Jacob Lipsky, came to America in 1874 to join his brother Isaac and two sisters. He was the second shochet (kosher butcher) in the community. Louis' mother came in 1875 with his older brother Abram. Louis was the first child born in America.

When brother Abram left for college, Louis took over his job as a freelance reporter for The Herald, a Rochester Newspaper. During this time he also worked as a law clerk with intention of becoming an attorney. In 1899, with the help of a well-to-do friend of his father's, he acquired $300 to start a weekly periodical in his hometown, called The Shofar. Abram wrote sermons and Louis wrote the stories. Philip Cowen, publisher of The American Hebrew, saw a copy of The Shofar and brought Louis to New York City in March of 1900. The Shofar lasted for 13 months until the money ran out. That same year, 1900, LL became the managing editor of The American Hebrew. He also registered at Columbia University as a special student taking an eclectic course without a fixed curriculum. He would have been a member of the class of 1902 if he had graduated.

LL remained with The American Hebrew for 14 years. During those years he was fascinated by the Yiddish theater and was caught up in a literary circle that included Mary Antin, Harry Scherman, Rita Scherman, and Charlotte Schacht (his future wife). When he married Charlotte in 1906, these friendships seem to be supplanted entirely by Zionist colleagues.

In 1901 Dr. Stephen Wise asked LL to edit an new magazine called The Maccabean (later The New Palestine) under the aegis of the Federation of American Zionists. LL was chosen for the post because he had written an account of the Zionist Convention in The American Hebrew that was the first time Zionism made the American press, and the first Zionist publication in the English language. He remained editor for one year and passed the position on to Jacob de Haas who was also secretary of the FAZ. His association continued with the FAZ and to a large degree he set the pattern of Zionist policy in the United States in these early years. When de Haas retired LL became editor again.

During these years he also served on the Campaign Committee chaired by Oscar Straus for Teddy Roosevelt, was a press agent for Harry Scherman and Herman Bernstein, and was commissioned to write a play by Louis Mann. He was also editor of The Jewish Herald for 3 months. He was secretary for Leo N. Levi, then National President of B'nai B’rith. He started writing for the secular press including pieces in The Reader, The Sunday Morning Telegraph, and The New York Daily Press. He translated the stories of Isaac Leib Peretz. In 1914 he became Secretary, a salaried position, of the Federation of American Zionists.

He was secretary, and then chairman of the Federation of American Zionists, which became the ZOA in 1917. Involved in the Brandeis-Weizmann rift, Lipsky supported Weizmann concerning financial support and control of Jewish Palestine. From 1922-1930 LL was President of ZOA.

From 1930-1959 he was President of the Eastern Life Insurance Co.

He was a founder of Keren HaYesod, also called the Palestine Foundation Fund and later incorporated into the Jewish Agency for Palestine. He was active in the United Palestine Appeal, and the American Zionist Council, in 1915 he advocated the establishment of the American Jewish Congress, in 1918 the American Jewish Congress became a reality. He later served as Vice President and Chairman.

During the years 1934-1945 LL channeled his energies into saving Europe's Jews. Collaborating with Stephen Wise in the American Jewish Congress, LL worked diligently trying to save Jewish lives. He wrote the rules and supervised the operation. He was keynote speaker at the first session of the World Jewish Congress in 1936. During this period he served as Vice President and, later, as Chairman of the Administrative Committee and Chairman of the Executive Committee.

After the war, he fought the British over the partition of Palestine, against Arab interests in the United Nations, and against divisive elements in American Judaism. In 1954 he chaired the Committee For Public Affairs of the American Jewish Congress. In the 1950s he retired from the American Jewish Congress. In 1955 he formulated the idea of an organization to offer support to Israel but have no part in politics. This viewpoint found some expression in the League for Israel. He retired from active participation in any organization except for the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1956. That same year he delivered the address on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of Weizmann's death.

In 1906 he married Charlotte Schacht, who was herself a founding member of the American Women’s Division of the Organization for Rehabilitation through Training (ORT). His sons were: Eleazar Lipsky, 1912- , head of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NYC ; Joel Carmichael, 1915- , author of The Shaping of the Arabs (1967), A Short History of the Russian Revolution (1964), and Death of Jesus (1962); and David.

Lipsky authored books, short stories, essays, plays, book reviews, and drama criticism. Among his works are: 30 Years of American Zionism, Stories of Jewish Life, Shields of Honor (1927), A Gallery of Zionist Profiles (1956), and Tales of the Yiddish Realto.

1876, November 30

Born, Rochester, N.Y.

1899

Began producing The Shofar. 13 issues

1900-1914

Became manager of The American Hebrew in New York City

1900

Took courses at Columbia University

1901-1918

Editor of The Maccabean with brief intermissions. First Zionist publication in the U.S. in English

1902-1913

Wrote short stories, essays, plays, book reviews and drama critiques. Translated I.L Peretz from Yiddish. Contributed material to the New York Morning Telegraph.

1903

Secretary to Leo N. Levi, President of B'nai B'rith; ran a Boys Club on the Lower East Side

1906

Married Charlotte Schach

1912

Became Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Federation of American Zionists (in 1917 to become Zionist Organization of America)

1913

Attended World Zionist Congress in Vienna; visited London and made contact with English Zionists

1913-1946

Attended all Congresses with the exception of the one in 1939

1914

Accepted the first paid position in Zionist movement-Secretary of FAZ. Resigned his post as editor of The American Hebrew. Called for Extraordinary Conference of Zionists. Brandeis entered the movement at this time

1915

Named Chairman of the Executive Committee of FAZ.

1915-1921

Served as Chairman of FAZ to become ZOA in 1917

1915-1949

Led struggle for Jews to organize locally and nationally and to elect their own spokesmen

1915-1917

Active participant to secure American support for the Balfour Declaration

1916

Attended preliminary meeting of AJC in Philadelphia

1920

With Chaim Weizmann established the Keren Hayesod as the fund raising instrument of WZO. Split with Brandeis over Keren Hayesod. Brandeis favored independent organizations

1921

Defeated Brandeis at the Cleveland Convention causing a split in the movement. Founded The New Palestine as an instrument to support the Keren Hayesod. He was its first editor

1922

Elected chairman of National Executive Committee of ZOA at its convention

1922-1930

Chairman of ZOA

1923

Served on Executive Committee of WZO

1924

Founded in London The New Judea as official organ of WZO. J. Hodess was the editor. Visited Palestine for the first time

1926-1930

Elected President of ZOA

1926

Brought Habimah to the U.S

1927

As President of ZOA paid expenses of Habimah to go to Palestine where they established Israel's national theater. This created a furor in the U.S. that nearly cost him the presidency. Collected writings were published in three volumes

1930-1954

Left ZOA as paid official, but served, on call, without pay, as propagandist, speaker, planner, and organizer traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe

1930-1959

President of Judean Insurance Co. (later to become the Eastern Life Insurance Co.)

1933-1946

Served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Jewish Agency for Palestine

1934

Elected Vice President of AJC; served also as Chairman of its Governing Council and head of its National Administrative Council

1934-1945

Actively worked with Stephen Wise with the American Jewish Council to organize America against Hitler. Worked to open doors for Jewish immigration into Palestine

1936

With Wise and Goldman founded the World Jewish Congress. Co-Chairman of UFA

1940

Co-Chair with Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver of UPA; Co-Chair of Keren HaYesod; Chairman of the General Council of the American Jewish Congress

1941

Fought to have Palestine secure a place in the rescuing of Jews

1943

Named Chairman of the Board of Elections for the American Jewish Congress, devising rules of procedure whereby Jewish communities through democratic elections to form the AJC as the spokesman for a united Jewish community to aid in the up building of post war Jewish Palestine. Served as the Chairman of the Committee of Five Session supervising the conduct of 3 day sessions

1943-1947

Principal factor in mobilizing American opinion to open the doors of Palestine to survivors of the Holocaust

1944

Elected Co-Chair of the Interim Committee of the American Jewish Congress together with Henry Monsky and Dr. Israel Goldstein

1945

Made two trips to London to confer with Weizmann and other Zionist leaders to help bring survivors to Palestine. Headed AJC delegation to the organizing conference of the UN in San Francisco to press for the creation of a Jewish state

1945-1949

Served as Co-Chairman of the Interim Committee and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Congress

1947-1949

Headed movement, through the American Jewish Congress, to prevent rescinding of American support for partition

1949-1954

Chairman of the American Zionist Council, representing all branches of the Zionist movement in the US to mobilize with US help to protect the new state of Israel

1950

Visited Israel for first time

1954

Chairman of American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs later American Israel Committee for Public Affairs, an instrument to build a viable state

1956, November 12

Principle speaker at the Chaim Weizmann Memorial Lecture: “Herzl, Weizmann and the Jewish State.” Made an Honorary Fellow of the Institute

1956

Published A Gallery of Zionist Portraits

1959

Retired as President of The Eastern Life Insurance Company

1960

Became Honorary Chairman of the Board of the Eastern Life Insurance Company

1962

Published Tales of the Yiddish Realto stories of the Yiddish theater at the turn of century

1963

Died, New York City.