Aryeh Louis Pincus

(1912 - 1973)

Born in South Africa, Aryeh Louis Pincus studied law and economics and practiced law there from 1934 to 1948. He was chairman of South Africa's Zionist Socialist Party and a co-founder of the country's Habonim chapter. He represented the Labor Zionist Party at the Zionist Congress of 1946, and two years later he moved to Israel.

In Israel, Pincus first worked in the Department of Transportation, and from 1949 to 1956 he was the first managing director of El-Al. He then practiced law in Tel Aviv and was involved in several political organizations, Zionist fundraising, and the Zionist Congress. He also served as chairman of the board of Tel Aviv University.

Pincus's work with the Jewish Agency spanned many years and key positions, including chairman of the finance and budget committee, member of the executive, and treasurer. He was primarily responsible for the restructuring of the Jewish Agency in 1969, which involved consolidation of several departments and a reduction in the number of executive members. He also helped the Agency define its areas of focus, specifically in its division of labor with the World Zionist Organization.

Pincus emphasized the links between Israel and the Diaspora, and often was a representative of one side towards the other. He recognized the importance of fundraising, and beyond that, of developing Jewish community leaders to translate projects into reality. He was heavily involved in the aliyah department and in the struggle for Soviet Jewry.