Lamm tipped for ZFA presidency

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COMMUNAL leader Danny Lamm has been approached to stand for the presidency of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) at its annual general meeting in March next year.

Lamm, who completed three years as president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), said his stewardship of the ZFA would reflect his passion for Israel and the friendship between Australia and the Jewish State.

Lamm was approached by current ZFA president Philip Chester to stand for election at the ZFA AGM on March 30 and is widely expected to take the reins of the federal Zionist organisation. Chester has since spoken publicly about his nomination of Lamm.

Chester told The AJN this week: “I believe that Danny’s long and successful involvement in the Zionist community, including as president of Mizrachi and most recently as president of the Zionist Council of Victoria, will equip him well for this very important role as head of the Australian Zionist movement.”

Lamm, who was president of the Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV) from 2002-10 and is a vice-president of the World Jewish Congress and a member of the Jewish Agency board of governors, told The AJN this week he would draw on his ZCV leadership and “my experiences as a Zionist youth movement graduate” if elected to the ZFA presidency.

He said his anticipated role as ZFA president “hopefully will contribute to a further strengthening of an extremely strong organisation with a very successful brand name”.

“Philip has served dutifully and very successfully as ZFA president for eight years, and Ron Weiser before him for 10 years,” he said.

Lamm said that during his ECAJ presidency, the communal roof body has broadened its reach and strengthened ties between the Jewish community and Australia’s national leadership, has raised its profile in smaller states, and has improved its administrative resources.

PETER KOHN

Former ECAJ president Danny Lamm.