Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is an organization that advocates for pro-Israel policies. ZOA was founded in 1897 to support the movement to establish a sovereign state for the Jewish people in the Biblical Land of Israel. It supported efforts to remove Nazi war criminals from the United States and to secure civil rights protections for Jewish students. ¹

ZOA supported the Trump administration’s decisions to move the U.S. embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. ¹ One of ZOA’s largest-ever donors was right-of-center casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, whose foundation, the Adelson Family Foundation, has continued giving to ZOA since his death in January 2021. ²

Background

Founded in 1897, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) combats antisemitism and promotes Jews’ “lawful right to live and settle historic Jewish lands.” ¹ It supported efforts to remove Nazi war criminals from the United States and to secure civil rights protections for Jewish students. ¹ It established the Center for Law and Justice to provide legal assistance and runs a fellowship for college students to advocate for Israel. ³

Advocacy

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) condemned the Biden administration for what ZOA characterized as the United States “forcing” Israel into a ceasefire deal in Lebanon in November 2024. This ceasefire called for Israel to withdraw from certain positions in Lebanon over 60 days. ⁴

ZOA called for Hillel International and Jewish Communal Relations Councils (JCRCs) to cut ties with groups ZOA called “hostile-to-Israel,” including Americans for Peace Now, IfNotNow, J Street, Partners for Progressive Israel, and T’ruah, which supported resolutions sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would have blocked $20 billion of U.S. arms sales to Israel had they passed. ⁵

ZOA praised several of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for the second Trump administration whom the group considered good for Israel: Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for Ambassador to the United Nations, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) for National Security Advisor, and former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) for head of the Environmental Protection Agency, among others. Huckabee, Stefanik and Zeldin had all previously received ZOA awards. ⁶

Initiatives

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) offers a paid campus fellowship, providing college students a $1,200 base stipend for planning at least three events per semester, in addition to other requirements. ⁷ The group spent $21,400 on stipends for 21 recipients in the 2022 fiscal year. ⁸

The ZOA Center for Law and Justice (ZOA-CLJ) has been a legal voice for Jews and U.S.-Israel relations. The center filed suit against Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s public school district after it failed to respond to the harassment of a Jewish student following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre. In February 2023, ZOA-CLJ filed an amicus brief alleging workplace discrimination in a U.S. Supreme Court Case that successfully argued for stronger workplace protections for all employees requiring religious accommodations. ⁹

Financials

In 2022, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) reported a total revenue of $12,429,362 and expenses of $7,087,972. ¹⁰

One of ZOA’s biggest donors was Sheldon Adelson. Although he died in January 2021, the Adelson Family Foundation continued giving. In 2022 alone, the foundation gave $100,000 to ZOA. ¹¹ Adelson was a major advocate for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and was awarded the group’s Louis Brandeis award in 2009. ¹²

Other major donors in 2023 include the Edward G. Lewis and Marie E. Jewish Charitable Foundation, which gave $40,000, ¹³ and the Perles Family Foundation and Stuart and Judith Rosen Foundation, each of which gave $10,000 that year. ^{14 15}

Leadership

Morton A. “Mort” Klein became Zionist Organization of America’s (ZOAs) national president in 1994. ¹⁶ Tax forms from 2022 listed Isaac Abraham, Rosaline Barron, Ben Chouake, Gary Erlbaum, Harvey Friedman, Stanley Bensel, Robert Shillman, Michael Goldblatt, Morton Gleit, Leonard Getz, Martin Sokol, Myron Zimemrman and Judith Friedman Rosen as directors of the board. ¹⁷

Paul B. Tartell and Michael Orbach are listed as acting co-chairs, Bart Blatstein was listed as associate treasurer and Sheryl Silver was listed as secretary. John Rosen was listed as Executive Vice President through August 2022. ¹⁷

Lawsuit

Board members Brian Grodman and Paul Tartell filed a lawsuit alleging that Zionist Organization of America’s (ZOAa) president Morton Klein had inappropriately managed ZOA’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack, “effectively sidelin[ed] the organization,” and engaged in financial misconduct, pocketing millions of dollars from the organization. Klein hired Marc Kasowitz, former President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney. ¹⁶

1.   “What Is the ZOA?” Zionist Organization of America, zoa.org/about/.
2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), Adelson Family Foundation, 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472546990/202442279349100414/full
3. ^[1]  “Paid Campus Fellowship.” ZOA Campus, 2021, campus.zoa.org/paid-fellowship/.
4. Shafer, Jackie. “ZOA Condemns Biden Admin for Forcing Israel into Dangerous Lebanon “Ceasefire Deal” That Protects Hezbollah, Leaves Israeli Communities Unsafe – Zionist Organization of America.” Zionist Organization of America, 27 Nov. 2024, zoa.org/2024/11/10451963-zoa-condemns-biden-admin-for-forcing-isr.
5. Shafer, Jackie. “J Street, Americans for Peace Now (APN) Disgracefully Promote Boycotting Arms to Israel; JCRCs and Hillels Should Remove Them from Official Affiliation – Zionist Organization of America.” Zionist Organization of America, 25 Nov. 2024, zoa.org/2024/11/10451927-j-street-americans-for-peace-now-apn-disgracefully-promote-boycotting-arms-to-israel-jcrcs-and-hillels-should-remove-them-from-official-affiliation/.
6. Shafer, Jackie. “ZOA Strongly Praises Pres. Trump for Appointing Superb Friends of Israel: Sen. Rubio, Gov. Huckabee, Cong. Stefanik, Cong. Zeldin, Gov. Noem, Cong. Waltz, Peter Hegseth, John Ratcliffe – Zionist Organization of America.” Zionist Organization of America, 13 Nov. 2024, zoa.org/2024/11/10451737-zoa-strongly-praises-pres-trump-for-appointing-superb-friends-of-israel-sen-rubio-gov-huckabee-cong-stefanik-cong-zeldin-gov-noem-cong-waltz-peter-hegseth-john-ratcliffe/.
7. “Paid Campus Fellowship.” ZOA Campus, 2021, campus.zoa.org/paid-fellowship/.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), Zionist Organization of America, 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135628475/202322519349301202/full Schedule I, Section III.
9. “Center for Law and Justice.” Zionist Organization of America, September 9, 2024. https://zoa.org/center-for-law-and-justice/.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), Zionist Organization of America, 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135628475/202322519349301202/full, Part I, Lines 12 and 19.
11. ^[1] Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), Adelson Family Foundation, 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472546990/202442279349100414/ful
12. “ZOA Mourns the Passing of Zionist Jewish Giant Sheldon Adelson – Zionist Organization of America.” Zionist Organization of America, 12 Jan. 2021, zoa.org/2021/01/10441990-zoa-mourns-the-passing-of-zionist-jewish-giant-sheldon-adelson/.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF), Edward G Lewis And Marie E Lewis Charitable Foundation, 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472546990/202442279349100414/full, Schedule I.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF), Perles Family Foundation, 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832686494/202430939349100928/IRS990PF, Schedule I.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF) Stuart and Judith Rosen Foundation, 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/873642112/202421359349101507/IRS990PF, Schedule I.
16. Edelson, Daniel. “ZOA Board Members Sue Long-Time Head Morton Klein Alleging Financial Misconduct.” Ynetnews, 28 Aug. 2024, www.ynetnews.com/article/sy47feair.
17.  Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), Zionist Organization of America, 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135628475/202322519349301202/full, Schedule I.