Bisno, Julius

Julius Bisno was involved with several Jewish organizations during his life, none so closely as Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA).

Bisno was born on April 20, 1911, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Jacob and Evelyn (Segal) Bisno. As a child, he belonged to the Memphis Chapter of AZA. He earned his Bachelor of Philosophy at Creighton University and completed post-graduate work at the University of Chicago, American University, and George Washington University. He and his wife, Rose, had one son named Jay Alvin.

From 1933 to 1945, Bisno served as Assistant National Executive Secretary, National Executive Secretary of AZA, and National Executive Director of B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO). He was the longtime editor of the publication The Shofar.

Bisno resigned in 1945 to become Assistant Executive Secretary of the Los Angeles Jewish Community Council, the first unified Jewish community organization in Los Angeles, California. He later served as the Executive Director of the United Jewish Welfare Fund, created to support Holocaust survivors and hidden children.

In 1955, Bisno became the Executive Secretary of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, which sought to plan for the Jewish community’s future in the Los Angeles area and build permanent resources for the community. He served as a manager of charitable assets and planned giving for Greater Los Angeles Jewish philanthropists.

Bisno continued to be involved in BBYO, joining its Commission's Board in 1962. The organization recognized him with the National Sam Beber Award, given annually to distinguished AZA alumni, in 1954. Today, an AZA chapter in the United Kingdom bears his name.

Bisno passed away in 1983.