The Mormon leader of the ZOA office

The Zionist Organization of America’s West Coast office has had quite the revolving door, with, by my count, four regional directors since the end of 2006. The latest selection for the post is Mark Paredes, who happens to be Mormon and one of L.A.‘s most famous philo-Semites.

Paredes, who had been working as national director of Latino outreach for the American Jewish Congress and previously served at the Israeli consulate, moved into the office Monday. He’s the only employee. I e-mailed him yesterday to see why he’s spent his career in Jewish life and what he has planned for making ZOA relevant in Los Angeles again.

ZOA West has struggled for years. Why do you think that is?

While I have spoken with the collective “institutional memory” of the ZOA in Los Angeles in order to get the lay of the land, I’m not a person who dwells on the past. Sometimes it takes a combination of the right people with the right talents and a little bit of luck to make things happen in a big way. With apologies to Shakespeare, the past is not necessarily prologue.

What about job longevity? I count at least three people who have held your position since late 2006.

Since I expect to succeed in this position, I’m not worried about longevity. Also, keep in mind that there is a new dynamic in the organization: Gary Ratner is the new national executive director. Gary and I work well together, and he was the executive director for the LA office of a national Jewish organization for many years. He knows what we need to do to make inroads here, and we are excited about working with ZOA President Mort Klein to organize events for our supporters in the Western Region. I am also fortunate to be able to work with the indefatigable Julie Sager, our LA-based Director of Campus Activities.

What is your formula for turning ZOA around?

I plan to bring together Jews, both religious and secular, who are proud to be Zionists, who are willing to defend Israel and the Jewish people,  who want Israel to negotiate peace only with partners who have already renounced terror and incitement and recognize Israel, and who believe that Jews have the right to live in the Land of Israel, including Judea and Samaria. Belief in these principles transcends movements and the religious/secular divide, and it’s my job to organize events that will inspire our supporters and attract other defenders of Israel to the ZOA banner.

Sixty-one years after the creation of the state of Israel, you think there’s still a need for the Zionist Organization of America?