Draft Report Regarding Work Among National Groups
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- Title (English):
- Draft Report Regarding Work Among National Groups
- Collection:
- International Workers’ Order (IWO) and Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO)
- Set:
- Black Jewish Relations
Conferences, Conventions, Meetings
Culture Front
Education
Popular Front Years - Creator:
- Benjamin, Herbert, 1900-1983
- Recipient:
- IWO G.E.B (General Executive Board)
IWO Organization Board
- Organization:
- International Workers Order
- Date:
- 1941-02-22
- Coordinates:
- 40.73591,-73.99406
- Latitude:
- 40.73591
- Longitude:
- -73.99406
- Location:
- New York, New York, United States
- ID Number:
- 5276b49f17_01
- File Name:
- 5276b49f17_01.pdf
- Address (creator):
- 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
- Transcription:
- Insert on page 38 where indicated
- Work Type:
- historical figures
drafts (documents)
organization files
plans (reports)
proposals
political ideologies and attitudes
communism
nationalism
antisemitism - Subject:
- Soviet Union
Americanization
The Jewish Question
IWO JPFO Organizational History
Popular Front
IWO JPFO- Reports, Meetings, and Conferences
Fraternal Orders- Lodges, Activities
Youth
Black Jewish Relations
African Americans- Civil Rights
National Sections
Membership
Political
Immigrants
Capitalism
Jewish Lodges
Communism
Antisemitism - Description:
- 43 pages. Internal document with extensive markups and edits. The IWO General Executive Board debates (and amends) a resolution from the final version of this report on February 22, 1941. This draft contains much material on the "Jewish Question" and Lenin (27, 34-37) that attacks Jewish bourgeois nationalism and religion, and strongly calls for a Marxist version of Jewish assimilation. Starts with "What then is this problem of work among national groups?" "This [bourgeois] ideology is planted and maintained by continuous propaganda of a religious, racial, and many other kinds. The most universally effective kind of such propaganda is the nationalistic one." "The propagation of national culture and its autonomy... despite all good intentions of individuals and groups, divides the nation and brings the workers of one nation nearer to their bourgeoisie." (9) The draft addresses National Sections, lodges, and perhaps is formulated as somewhat of a rebuttal to a G.E.B (General Executive Board) document that described assimilation as a "nihlistic and reactionary concept." This draft connects to various proposals from this period to organize more outside of New York and focus on English speaking lodges and Districts as opposed to National Sections (10-11). Presumably written by Herbert Benjamin, then IWO Executive Secretary and author of “Our Plan for Plenty.” Another possibility is that it is authored by Max Bedacht.
- Notes:
- Author is inferred
The Jewish People’s Fraternal Order was the largest ‘national’ section of the International Workers Order (IWO) which focused on cultural awareness and celebration, mutual support especially in health insurance coverage, and anti-fascist activities. The IWO also gave particular emphasis to supporting the rights and interests of African Americans. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented. - Cite As:
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
- Repository:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University
- Archival Collection:
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records, 1915-2002 (KCL05276)
- Box:
- 49
- Folder:
- 17
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- The copyright status and copyright owners of most of the images in the International Workers Order (IWO) Records Collection (Kheel Center #5276) are unknown. This material was digitized from physical holdings by Cornell University Library in 2016, with funding from an Arts and Sciences Grant to Jonathan Boyarin. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented. Cornell is providing access to the materials as a digital aggregate under an assertion of fair use for non-commercial educational use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Cornell would like to learn more about items in the collection and to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information as to rights holders. Please contact the Kheel Center at kheel_center@cornell.edu