2025-07-04 13:25 <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #people #Donor ![[image-40.png]] *Stone and Golda Meir in 1958* # Dewey Stone (1900-1977) - Dewey Stone was an American Jewish businessman. He was a key player in the [[SS Exodus]] affair, the 1947 [[UN Partition Plan]] and various lobbying efforts for Israel. - From 1940, Stone was a close American ally of [[Chaim Weizmann]]. - Stone was involved in smuggling ships and weapons to the [[Haganah]] leading up to the [[1948 Arab Israeli War]]. - Stone was one of ~40 members of the [[Sonneborn Institute]] which at the direct behest of [[David Ben-Gurion]] smuggled weapons and money to the [[Haganah]]. - Stone's family owned Converse Rubber Co. (converse shoes). - Stone and his brother hosted Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza García at Converse Rubber Co. when he was in the united states in the 1930s. - Because of this established connection, Somoza allowed Nicaragua to be used to funnel weapons to the [[Haganah]]. - In 1947, the Stone brothers enlisted the favor of Somoza to rally Latin American support for the [[UN Partition Plan]]. - Stone purchased the ship [[SS Exodus]] under the front company Weston Trading Company of New York of which he was the sole owner. - The Exodus was used for the attempted smuggling of ~4500 Jews from Europe to Palestine in the most well known case of Jewish illegal immigration to Palestine. - Stone used his connections at a 1948 [[B'nai B'rith]] dinner to get [[Chaim Weizmann]] a meeting with President Harry Truman. The meeting was pivotal in changing US policy in regards to the recognition of Israel. - Stone was heavily involved with the Israeli [[Weizmann Institute]], for which he served as the founding chairman of its board of governors from 1949-1970. - In 1957 and 1960 Stone was a donor to the AZCPA, which changed its name to [[AIPAC]] in 1959. - Stone was the national chairman of the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] from 1955-1963. - Around this time Stone also chaired [[United Israel Appeal]], a subsidiary of UJA. - After Stone's death in 1977, former Israeli PM [[Golda Meir]] said, "No American Jew did more for Israel." #### References - "**SS Exodus,**" *Wikipedia,* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Exodus - Maas, Steve. **“How a Brockton Man Helped Create Israel.”** _Weizmann USA_, [https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/how-a-brockton-man-helped-create-israel/](https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/how-a-brockton-man-helped-create-israel/). - Carol Britton Meyer, “Temple to Show Documentary Detailing Local Man’s Role in the Creation of Israel,” _The Hull Times_, October 26, 2023, [https://www.hulltimes.com/ht-online/2023/10/19/temple-to-screen-documentary-detailing-local-mans-uncredited-role-in-the-creation-of-israel](https://www.hulltimes.com/ht-online/2023/10/19/temple-to-screen-documentary-detailing-local-mans-uncredited-role-in-the-creation-of-israel). - **“Dewey Stone Dead at 77,”** _Jewish Telegraphic Agency_, November 22, 1977, [https://www.jta.org/archive/dewey-stone-dead-at-77](https://www.jta.org/archive/dewey-stone-dead-at-77). - _Efforts of Abraham Feinberg to Influence U.S. Government Officials in Connection with Israeli Matters_ (memorandum, April 17, 1952), Israel Lobby Archive, accessed July 4, 2025, [https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952influence.pdf](https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952influence.pdf). - _Feinberg: Other U.S. Factors_ (memorandum, April 17, 1952), Israel Lobby Archive, accessed July 4, 2025, [https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952feinberg_other_us.pdf](https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952feinberg_other_us.pdf). - _Feinberg–Wahl Contacts_. Memorandum, April 17, 1952. Israel Lobby Archive. Accessed July 4, 2025. [https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952contacts_wahl.pdf](https://www.israellobby.org/Feinberg/04171952contacts_wahl.pdf).