The greatest pleasure in completing any project — particularly one the size and complexity of arranging and describing the records of the World Jewish Congress — is the opportunity it gives to thank all the persons who were involved in its completion.
This list, of course, is lengthy. Thanks should go first to those who helped bring the World Jewish Congress collection to the American Jewish Archives. For many years the records had resided in less-than-ideal conditions at the Morgan Manhattan Storage warehouse on 87th Street in New York City. A group of leaders from both the World Jewish Congress and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion became concerned about the rapidly deteriorating condition of these records. Together these leaders had the foresight not only to rescue the collection and save it from almost certain destruction, but to sense the importance and potential of the material, both for research and as a symbol of the spirit and resolve of the Jewish community. This group worked for many months and in many venues to secure the collection, transfer it to the American Jewish Archives, and gain funding for its maintenance — thereby preserving the material for future generations.
This group of persons includes, but is not limited to, Gerhart Riegner, Doris Brickner, and Elizabeth Eppler of the WJC; together with Alfred Gottschalk, Paul Steinberg, and Abraham Peck of HUC-JIR.
Next, it is right and appropriate to thank those institutions who so generously funded the work of this project. Specifically, the Aaron W. Davis Foundation; the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati (and particularly its chairman, Benjamin Gettler). Special thanks also must go to Joy Rothenberg and Joan Porat for their efforts and assistance in securing funding vital to the success of this project.
Dr. Gary P. Zola, Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, supplied the vision — and energy — to not only imagine, but pursue, previously unconsidered possibilities for the World Jewish Congress collection (as well as contemplating the consequences of doing nothing). Long after the initial processing of the collection was complete — when most of us were content to accept the status quo — Dr. Zola urged all of us to think creatively to find ways to improve access to these important materials.
Everyone who has worked at the American Jewish Archives since 1983 has contributed in some way to this project. Special thanks must go first to Fannie Zelcer, Chief Archivist of the American Jewish Archives from 1958 to 1989, who guided the initial processing of the collection. Sincere gratitude and acknowledgment go next to the following AJA staff: Devhra BennettJones, Christine Crandall, Betty Finkelstein, Lisa Frankel, Katie Goff, Morton Goldberg, Ruth Kreimer, Fredric Krome, Eleanor Lawhorn, Melinda McMartin, Elise Nienaber, Phil Reekers, Camille Servizzi, Dorothy Smith, and Jackie Wilson. Also deserving thanks are dozens of student assistants, each of whom made an important contribution to the success of this project. Of these, special note should be given to Rachel Schwartz and Emily Walsh.
Deepest thanks, however, must go to the archivists who performed the actual arrangement, description, cataloging, and preservation of the World Jewish Congress collection. When this collection arrived at the American Jewish Archives in June 1983 the records were in total disarray, stuffed into rusting and dilapidated filing cabinets. Inside the cabinets the papers showed years of neglect, being tattered, dirty and disorganized — many lying loose without folders or binding. There was no discernable organization or guide to the contents. As a result, the archivists who processed this collection performed not only the rigorous intellectual and conceptual work of organization and arrangement, they often had to do back-breaking physical labor as well.
The processing of this collection spanned a period of twelve years and consisted of two distinct phases. The initial phase covered the years 1987–1989 and was funded through the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This project had the goal of establishing a minimum level of physical and intellectual control over the collection. The first archivists to work on the collection, Ronald Axelrad and Kathleen Spray, did just that. They transferred the files from their original filing cabinets to acid-free boxes and folders; organized the collection into a coherent intellectual order based upon its provenance and original order; labeled boxes; weeded some duplicate materials; and performed basic conservation measures. Most importantly, Axelrad and Spray wrote the first-ever finding aid to the collection — a one hundred page box list — that due to the obvious limitations under which the archivists worked provided adequate, if not always efficient, access to the collection.
The collection remained in this arrangement for ten years. And while the work of Axelrad and Spray was an unqualified success, everyone involved in the project knew more work was needed to get the collection into prime condition. But lack of available funds was always the roadblock to additional work.
Enter Gary P. Zola. When Dr. Zola became Executive Director of the Marcus Center in 1998, finishing the work on the World Jewish Congress collection became a top priority. Through Zola's devotion and effort additional funding was obtained through the largesse of the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. With the Foundation's generous support two new archivists, Anna K. Truman and Kenton Jaehnig, together with a historical consultant, Ina M. Remus, were hired to finish what Axelrad and Spray had begun.
Truman, Jaehnig and Remus not only refined and expanded the existing intellectual control and arrangement of the collection, they went beyond processing and began to discover and identify the many hidden resources and research potential of these records. When their work was completed two years later, they had created this 400+ page, folder level descriptive finding aid — while also discovering many important and heretofore unknown documents and opening a new era of historical research at the American Jewish Archives.
Our debt and our thanks to these five is immense. It is not possible to overstate the scope and depth of their work. Not only did they take on a task from which many would flee, they performed their duties with a devotion that was both professional and inspirational. Watching them, hearing their concern in discussions and meetings, and seeing daily examples of their commitment to the job at hand is a tribute not only to the American Jewish Archives and the Jewish community, but also to scholarship and to the highest aims of the archival profession.
In a sad and bitter irony, neither Ron Axelrad nor Kathy Spray are with us now to celebrate this moment. Ron Axelrad passed away in 1999. Kathy Spray died in 2000. Yet this collection, in its final form, is an ongoing tribute to Kathy and Ron and their memory. It is to them now that we, their colleagues, dedicate this inventory.
Finally, it is fitting to close with a tribute to our beloved founder, benefactor, mentor, and teacher, Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus. It is because of Dr. Marcus that the American Jewish Archives exists and it is he who is the inspiration and source of all that we do. In thanks to him, and on behalf of all who have and who will utilize this finding aid and be glad, we say now to Dr. Marcus — as he often said to us — “future generations will rise up and call you blessed.”
Kevin Proffitt
Chief Archivist
American Jewish Archives
Cincinnati, Ohio
March 2002
The World Jewish Congress collection (1918–1982) consists of the archival records of the New York office of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), an international Jewish representative organization established in 1936. Originally headquartered in Europe, the WJC's main office was moved to New York in July 1940 when most of Europe was overrun by the Nazis.
The collection contains, in addition to WJC records, some material collected by the American Jewish Congress (the U.S. affiliate of the WJC) prior to 1940 — particularly pertaining to organizational work and political activities for the relief and protection of European Jewry. Much of the material from the 1940s relates in some way to World War II and the Holocaust.
A partial listing of major subjects dealt with in the collection include: anti-Semitism, human rights, Jewish communities in various countries, Jewish displaced persons, Jewish-Christian relations, immigrants and immigration, Jewish culture, relations with governments and non-governmental organizations (including the United Nations and the Red Cross), restitution, reparations, Jews in Germany, Soviet Jewry, World War II, western hemisphere Jewry, Zionism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The World Jewish Congress collection was donated to the American Jewish Archives by the World Jewish Congress in 1982 and delivered in June, 1983, with a small supplement received in 1987. Two boxes of Maurice L. Perlzweig's files were received from his son, Robert Perlzweig, in 1983. One folder of material pertaining to the WJC China section (1946–1947) were received from Ms. Rena Krasno in February, 1995. All materials donated prior to 2002 have been arranged and described in this inventory.
The World Jewish Congress collection is open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives. A suggested form for at least the first citation is:
Letter, Stephen S. Wise to Woodrow Wilson, 28 February 1920, Box A9, Folder 1. World Jewish Congress Collection, American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Acknowledgments: The processing and inventory of the World Jewish Congress collection was made possible by three grants. The first, in 1983, from the Aaron W. Davis Foundation; the second, in 1987, from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, D.C.; and the third, in 1999, from the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) was established in 1936 under the leadership of Stephen S. Wise and Nahum Goldmann. Instrumental in its founding were the American Jewish Congress (AJC), established in 1918, and the Comité des Délégations Juives (Committee of Jewish Delegations), which was founded in 1919. The Comité des Délégations Juives was an ad hoc committee initiated by the Zionist Organization and established for the sole purpose of representing Jewish interests on behalf of all Jewish communities worldwide at the Paris Peace Conference following World War I. The Comité was also interested in the foundation of a permanent “worldwide Jewish organization which would be recognized by Jews and non-Jews alike as the Jewish representative body for the problems of the Diaspora.”1
The first preparatory meeting for the World Jewish Congress, called the First Preparatory World Jewish Conference, took place in Geneva in August 1932. After two more preparatory conferences, in 1933 and 1934, the First Plenary Assembly formally established the World Jewish Congress in August 1936. The purpose of the new organization was to unify Jews and strengthen Jewish political influence in order to assure the survival of the Jewish people. The creation of a Jewish state was part of that goal.
As Nazism took hold of Europe and the situation for Jews grew increasingly worse during the 1930s, the need for a representative body to support Jewish interests became evident. Even before the 1936 Plenary, the Preparatory Committee, often represented by Nahum Goldmann, began dealing with Jewish problems in Europe — such as establishing contacts with governments and the League of Nations; leading an economic boycott against Germany; organizing rescue and relief efforts for Jews in Nazi-controlled territory; and investigating and documenting the condition of Jews in Europe. Once the WJC was founded, with headquarters located in Paris and another European office in Geneva, its main activities focused on the situation of European Jews. Among the WJC's activities were efforts concerning Jewish rights, antisemitism, and immediate relief (both political and economic) and rescue efforts. The WJC also concentrated on security for Jewish refugees and victims of the war. The WJC leadership began planning for post-war activities as well, including indemnification and reparations claims against Germany, as well as punishment of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
With the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Paris office was moved to Geneva to facilitate communications with Jewish communities in Europe. Then, in the summer of 1940, with most of Europe overrun by the Nazis, the main headquarters of the World Jewish Congress were moved to New York to share office space with the American Jewish Congress while a special office was set up in London. At the end of the war, the emphasis of the WJC's activities shifted to rebuilding European Jewish communities. These activities included assisting displaced persons and survivors of the Holocaust, advocating restitution and reparations from Germany, and assisting in punishment of war crimes. Another main focus was the World Jewish Congress's involvement in the creation of the State of Israel and working toward the prevention of future catastrophes like the Holocaust.
Many of the same activities, now relating to reconstruction of Jewish communities and support for Israel, continued into the 1980s. The WJC continued to champion the rights and safety of Jews worldwide — for example for North African and Soviet Jewry — but the struggle for Jewish rights expanded to include a fight for human rights. Work for reparations claims for Holocaust survivors continued into the 1970s and was revived in the early 1990s. The WJC has played an important role in the adoption of principles regarding crimes against humanity and assisted in the punishment of war criminals. The organization has worked with governments, the United Nations, Jewish and non-Jewish organizations (such as the Red Cross and Christian churches), as well as Jewish communities throughout the world to fulfill its purpose “to assure the survival, and to foster the unity of the Jewish people…” and “to cooperate with all peoples on the basis of universal ideals of peace, freedom and justice.”2
As the WJC adjusted its activities to meet changing needs various departments were created or disbanded. Political, legal, organizational, and research departments were created around 1936 in the European offices, and some of the same personnel who worked in these offices immigrated to the United States to work in similar departments when the WJC moved to New York during the war. At the New York office in the 1940s, the major departments were: Political Department, Institute of Jewish Affairs (research and legal work), Relief and Rescue departments (under various names), Department for Culture and Education (or Culture Department), and Organization Department.
As relief work decreased late in the 1940s, the Relief and Rehabilitation Department was discontinued, but remaining relief work was handled by the Relief Desk of the Political Department. At the Second Plenary Assembly in 1948, the Executive Committee of the WJC was split among three major offices: New York, London, and Israel, but the New York office continued as a leading office for global, as well as Western Hemisphere, activities. The Political Department was split between the London and New York offices, and the Culture Department was headquartered in London, with a branch office in New York. The main office of the Organization Department was moved from New York to Geneva in 1960. For more detailed information on the major departments of the New York office, see the series descriptions for the collection.
-Ina Remus
___________________________________
1 Unity in Dispersion: A History of the World Jewish Congress, World Jewish Congress, New York, 1948, p. 28.The World Jewish Congress collection consists of the records of the New York office of the organization. The material spans the years 1918 to 1982, but the bulk of the documents range from the 1940s to 1970s and reflect the activities of the office in New York. The records reveal crucial information about the Holocaust. However, the material is not limited to this period. The collection illustrates areas that were of special interest to the WJC at one time or another. For example, early records, preceding the founding of the organization, contain information about its establishment. This material stresses the importance of the WJC's position in representing world Jewry and documents the need for the WJC's foundation. (Series A.) Later material consists of information relating to post World War II issues, including the creation of the state of Israel as well as reconstruction of Jewish communities in Europe, war crimes, reparations, and restitution issues. The 1221 boxes of material represent a wide array of historical themes connected to the Jewish experience worldwide. The New York office records do, however, clearly reflect the interests of the WJC's American leadership.
The collection yields a depth of material that, in relation to the study of the Holocaust, will not revise history. However, it will most likely shed more light on it. Much of the material covering the Holocaust period deals with the situation in Europe and the WJC's involvement in relief and recovery actions. The material also demonstrates how the WJC leadership involved itself in obtaining information about the situation in Europe, and, at the same time, tried to disseminate this information and influence the United States government to take action on behalf of European Jewry.
For example, the collection contains much documentation which illuminates that the WJC was more pro-active than scholars have previously held. Its leadership urged the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to take on a leading role in publicly denouncing the Nazi regime and to promote political and military actions against Nazi Germany if Germany did not refrain from further persecution of European Jews. There is much evidence in the collection suggesting that the WJC was the driving force in initiating a meeting between Roosevelt and national Jewish representatives on December 8, 1942. At that meeting representatives from a diverse spectrum of Judaism delivered a twenty-page memorandum detailing the deteriorating situation of European Jewry, broken down by country. Accompanying this document are drafts, press releases, memoranda, and correspondences, relating to its content. According to this material the WJC was instrumental in drafting the memorandum. (Boxes C 89/9, C 89/10, D 115/12, H 278/4, and H 293/5.)
Along the same lines, the collection contains much documentation about the WJC's efforts to gather information about the European situation. All of this material emphasizes the main goal of the WJC: to inform the New York office of the desolate circumstances in Europe and urge the United States political leadership to take action in helping ease the hardship of the European Jewish community.
Another example are the many telegrams that the New York office received from the European offices (mostly the British office). These telegrams clearly indicate the level of knowledge the WJC had of the situation in Europe. Among these telegrams is the “Riegner Telegram” dated August 29th 1942. (Box J12/22.) This famous document is the first known communication informing the Jewish community of the Nazi's planned implementation of the “Final Solution,” the systematic destruction of European Jewry. The telegram was intercepted by the United States State Department, because of its unsubstantiated content matter. The “Riegner Telegram,” including letters and telegrams relating to it, demonstrate the United States' political position in 1942. In terms of the WJC's exchange of information, there are various telegrams that were sent to the New York office specifying the circumstances of the European Jewish community as early as late 1941 and early 1942. The collection also contains early records documenting mass deportations and the deterioration of the situation of Jews in Europe. (See especially reports, telegrams, memoranda, and letters in boxes A 5–11.)
Series A also contains correspondences of the WJC Executive, among them Stephen S. Wise and Nahum Goldmann. Their communications shed more light on the structure of the organization and their personal influence upon and involvement with the WJC.
The WJC was heavily involved in relief and rescue work during and after World War II. Series D holds the records of the relief and rescue departments and contains in-depth information about the WJC's various activities in this area. For example, many documents show that the WJC contributed heavily to efforts in helping Jews emigrate from Europe. (See specifically records, affidavits, correspondences, and certificates of the Immigration Division in boxes D 15–45.) These documents show, for example, that the WJC tried to respond to requests from family members asking for help for their relatives in Europe. The WJC approached the United States government about these individual cases. Records in this series also document the WJC's engagement in aiding refugees — before, during and after the war — and in supplying Jewish communities with clothes, food and other essentials throughout the war. (See materials relating to the Rescue Department, boxes D 104–116 as well as boxes D 83–92.) Several boxes in Series D contain lists of survivors and victims. (Boxes D 49–57.) Series D also contains post-war relief documents, reports, correspondences, which demonstrate how the WJC tried to assist displaced persons. (This material is located throughout Series D.)
After the war the WJC was especially active in trying to secure restitution for Holocaust survivors and their heirs. Series C holds a large number of records which demonstrate the WJC's involvement in this area. (See especially correspondences, reports, and memoranda in boxes C 228–301.) The WJC was also particularly involved in the persecution of war criminals and war crimes. WJC officials were engaged in identifying and finding war criminals and in their subsequent indictments. (Boxes C 150–228.) Other post World War II activities included collaboration with the United Nations (UN). As a matter of fact there is ample documentation which could establish that the WJC was actively responsible for helping draft UN resolutions in relation to war crimes, racial discrimination, and missing persons. Numerous reports and material concerning the UN is located among records located in Series B. (See boxes B 79–146 for correspondence, reports, statements, and memoranda.)
Series H consists of alphabetical files. Unlike the other series of the WJC collection, Series H is strictly organized in alphabetical order. It comprises significant information about many topics, divided by country or location. For example, this series holds numerous documents that show the WJC's involvement in the reconstruction of many Jewish communities after Word War II and all the issues connected to that. The series also contains valuable information that complements records relating to various topics in other series of the collection. For example, Series H includes documents dealing with refugees, restitution issues, Zionism, and much more. (To search this particular series, go to each country or location listing and check these portions according to topical interest. For instance, to look for restitution issues referring to Germany, go to the section “Germany” in the series and then look for related documents.)
Non-print materials, mostly photos, are filed in Series J. Series J contains numerous boxes filled with photos of unidentified and identified child survivors. WJC conferences and personalities are also subjects of the picture collection. Furthermore, photos of buildings, atrocities, and ceremonial occasions reflect the diverse involvement of the WJC. This series also holds oversized maps and some recordings of WJC activities.
The WJC collection is historically significant because it casts light on many aspects of twentieth century history. Most importantly, the WJC collection contains valuable information about the Holocaust. It holds a vast amount of documents which are unique and will help explain what went on in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. Even more so, the records contain information about the United States Government and how it dealt with the situation. The records show the U.S. government's response, its policies, and its actions. One important aspect of the collection is its significance for Holocaust restitution. The WJC collection contains valuable documentation, including property records and records relating to cultural reconstruction (especially Series E), which have been used by various restitution organizations. However, the collection also includes records referring to topics that have not been specifically addressed. Since the collection holds documents ranging from the early part of the twentieth century to the early 1980s, there is ample documentation on a variety of historic themes of the century.
For detailed information on the collection's contents, please consult the series description at the beginning of each series.
-Ina Remus