Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Letter from Rubin Saltzman to Joel Lazebnik, October 1949

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Title:
Letter from Rubin Saltzman to Joel Lazebnik, October 1949
Collection:
International Workers’ Order (IWO) and Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO)
Set:
Cold War
Conferences, Conventions, Meetings
Culture Front
Exhibit and Collection Highlights
Poland
Postwar Reconstruction and Relief
Warsaw Ghetto
Creator:
Zaltsman, R. (Reʾuven) (Rubin Saltzman, Reuben Zaltzman)
Creator (Yiddish):
זלצמאן, ר
Date:
1949-10-06
Site:
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
New York, New York, United States
Address (Creator):
80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
Identifier:
5276b53f18_34
Recipient:
Lazebnik, Joel
Organization:
Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order of the I.W.O. (U.S.)
Language:
Yiddish
Work Type:
business letters
political campaigns
political ideologies and attitudes
ghettos
historical figures
communism
organization files
financial aid
emigration
resettlement
world wars
conferences
Subject:
Culture Front- Exhibit, Conferences, Publishing
Holocaust
Postwar Jewish Unity
Postwar Reconstruction and Relief Work- Culture, Publishing, Warsaw Ghetto, Poland
Jewish Left
Postwar Jewish Culture- U.S., Abroad
Intelligentsia
Communism
Postwar Order and Social Contract
Political
Repatriation
Emigration
Soviet Union
Commemoration
Antisemitism
Cold War- Red Scare
American Jewish Congress
Description:
In Yiddish. Rubin Saltzman's reply of October 6 to Joel Lazebnik CKŻP letter of September 26. Translated Summary: "I was very happy to receive your letter of September 26th, and I will answer right away because I want to acquaint you with a few important occurrences with the American Jewish Congress (AJC). As a result of the beginning of a good campaign against the reactionary leadership of the AJC, the National Progressive Committee was born..." Whole divisions of the AJC have condemned its leadership, according to Saltzman, whether for their position on peace (presumably with the Soviet Union), their exclusion of the JPFO, or their so-called fight against antisemitism. Assures Lazebnik that whatever the outcome of the AJC's coming convention, the progressives will be united and strengthened for continued pressing of their agenda. Encloses an invitation to a culture gathering. Shipping 100 grams of aureomycin. "The matter of L------n is odious to us..." [rare for Saltzman to write elliptically]. Have arranged for Morgn Freiheit (Frayhayt) to be sent to Poland on a regular basis. Hershl Hartman just returned and he brought the memorial with him. Thank you for the fine gift. It will be very useful for our exhibition that we are going to be sending out to the most important centers in the country.
Note:
By October 1950, the CKŻP is merged into the TSKŻ (Jewish Social-Cultural Association in Poland; Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne Żydów w Polsce from which Lazebnik is dismissed Fall 1951.
Note:
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.
Relationships:
20604626
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:
53
Folder:
18
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

About the collection

This bilingual project conserves, digitizes, and curates a portion of Cornell's International Workers Order (IWO) archives and most especially those of its Jewish division, known as the Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO). The IWO was founded in 1930 as an immigrant fraternal order that provided high-quality, low-cost health and burial insurance and other benefits for members. The origins of the IWO / JPFO arise from a decade of splits (1920-1930) concerning the U.S.S.R., the Bolshevik Revolution and Communism that consumed the Jewish Federation of Socialists and the Arbeter Ring (Workmens' Circle) groups associated with Eugene V. Debs' Socialist Party. While the vast majority of the IWO's members--200,000 at its peak right after World War II--did not belong to the Communist Party of the United States of America, the IWO's politics and leadership were largely aligned with those of the Party. The IWO was legally disbanded in 1953 due to the Cold War "Red Scare." This closure followed on a famous and unprecedented court case: its insurance funds and records were seized by New York State's Insurance Department. The presence of a goodly portion of the IWO's archives in the Kheel Center's 5276 Catherwood Library collection at Cornell's Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School is a direct result of that seizure.