The World Jewish Congress New York office records. Series A (Central Files)

Identifier
irn513879
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2003.186
  • RG-67.004M
Dates
1 Jan 1919 - 31 Dec 1971
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Yiddish
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

118,722 digital images, TIFF

103 microfilm reels, 35 mm

10 CD-ROMs, 4 3/4 in.

Creator(s)

Biographical History

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is an international organization founded by resolution of the First World jewish Congress, which took place in August 1936 in Geneva. The organization goal is to defend the political, social, and economic rights of Jews throughout the world. Its governing bodies were elected at the First World Jewish Congress: the executive committee headed by Stephen Wise (also the organization’s chairman), an administrative committee, headed by Nahum Goldman, and a central council headed by Louis Lipsky. At the first session of the executive committee, Sept. 6, 1936, it was decided to establish regional offices of the WJC in Geneva, New York, and London, and a central bureau in Paris. The central bureau coordinated the WJC’s work, collected information on the situation of Jews in various countries, published materials, and also lobbied at the League of Nations. In 1940, with the Second World War under way, the central bureau was transferred to New York, and a European office was established in London.

Archival History

American Jewish Archives

Acquisition

The World Jewish Congress collection was donated to the American Jewish Archives by the World Jewish Congress in 1982. All materials donated prior to 2002 have been arranged and described in the American Jewish Archives inventory. Series A (Central Files) of the collection was microfilmed and sent to the United States Holocaust Museum in Mar. 2003. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archives Project transferred the collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives in Apr. 2003.

Scope and Content

The Central Files (1919-1971) contain the history of the World Jewish Congress (especially prior to 1940); correspondence and other materials of important World Jewish Congress leaders (Stephen S. Wise, Nahum Goldman, Israel Goldstein and Administrative/Executive directors of the New York office: Abraham S. Hyman, Monty Jacobs, Yehuda Ebstein, Greta Beigel); and minutes and other records of plenary assemblies, conferences, and committee meetings. The Executive Committee files include material from the South American, European, and Israeli Branches of the Executive. Significant subjects covered include antisemitism, relief for refugees, and relations with the League of Nations.

System of Arrangement

Organized into the following four sub-series: 1. Organizational history and activities, 1919-1970; 2. Executive correspondence and miscellaneous files, 1920; 1931-1975; 3. Plenary assemblies, pre-1936 conferences, and special conferences of early 1940's in the United States, 1932-1975; 4. Committees-minutes, cables, correspondence, and miscellaneous records, 1940-1976 Arrangement is thematic

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Copyright Holder: American Jewish Archives

People

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.