American Pro-Falasha Committee Records

Manuscript Collection No. 61

1924-1949 1.2 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The Records of the American Pro-Falasha Committee were presented to the American Jewish Archives by Daniel L. Davis, Director of the New York Federation of Reform Synagogues, in 1952.
All property rights are assigned to the American Jewish Archives. All literary rights to materials are held by the individual author or his/her heirs. Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Director of the American Jewish Archives.
The American Pro-Falasha Committee Records are open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.
INSTITUTIONAL SKETCH top
The New York City based American Pro-Falasha Committee was organized in 1922 and incorporated in 1924 to promote educational efforts in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), to organize schools and synagogues in the Falasha communities, to translate educational works and the Bible into the Falasha language, and to improve living conditions for the Falasha people.
The Committee was organized largely through the efforts of Rabbi J. Max Weis, Dr. Norman Salit, and Dr. Jacques Faitlovitch who assumed the duties of Educational Director in Abyssinia.
Throughout its thirty year existence, from 1922-1949, the Committee was plagued by constant financial and political problems. Adequate monies rarely existed to support the Committee's educational efforts. In addition the political status of Abyssinia, especially in the 1930's, was constantly in doubt because of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's efforts to conquer Abyssinia.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE top
The AMERICAN PRO-FALASHA COMMITTEE RECORDS (1924-1949)describe the efforts of a New York City based organization that was incorporated in 1924 to organize schools and synagogues in Abyssinia, to translate educational works and the Bible into the Falasha language and to improve living conditions among the Falashas. The collection consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, financial records, membership lists,, and nearprint which trace the activities of the Committee in the United States and in Abyssinia. There is one series: GENERAL.
The GENERAL series (1924-1949) consists of three Hollinger boxes of correspondence arranged chronologically, that include correspondence, letters of appeals for money, mailing lists of the Pro-Folasho committee, a ledger of minutes, and incoming mail, and a series of budgets. Among the important correspondents are Cyrus Adler, Alben W. Barkley, Louis Dembitz Brandeis, David de Solo Pool, Jacques Faitlovitich, Herbert H. Lehman, and J. Max Weis.
BOX AND FOLDER LISTING top
Box     File    Contents

1     1     1922-1929, General
      2     1930, General
      3     1931, General
      4     1932, General
      5     1933-1934, General
      6     1935, General
      7     1935, Genera1
      8     1936, General

2     1     1937, General
      2     1938, Genera1
      3     1939, General
      4     1940-1941, General
      5     1942-1949, General
      6-8   Undated Correspondence
      9     1928-1935, Appeals to Different Organizations for
                        Money

3     1     Mailing Lists of the Pro-Falasha Committee
      2     Ledger of I ncoming mail and -Minutes
      3     Budgets, 1928-1941

X-379           Two Cash Receipts and Disbursements Ledgers,
                1922-1926 and 1930-1937
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