Overview
- Description
- 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.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1919-1971
- Collection Creator
- World Jewish Congress
- Biography
-
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.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Lists. Minutes. Correspondence. Reports. Telegrams.
- Extent
-
118,722 digital images : TIFF ; 14.6 GB.
103 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.
10 CD-ROMs ; 4 3/4 in..
- 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
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- This material can only be accessed in a Museum reading room or other on-campus viewing stations. No other access restrictions apply to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- Fair use only. Persons wishing to quote or publish from the records of the World Jewish Congress beyond the fair use provision as established by copyright law must obtain the written approval of the American Jewish Archives. The sale or distribution of microfilms or CD copies by the USHMM to any outside individual or agency is not permitted. Microfilms and all electronic images of the World Jewish Congress records are for use on site at the USHMM only and may not be lent to third parties.
- Copyright Holder
- American Jewish Archives
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
American Jewish Archives
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- 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.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-08-24 13:42:10
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn513879
Download & Licensing
- See Rights and Restrictions
- Terms of Use
- This record is digitized but cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Requires Research Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
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