Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Letter from Nahum Polak Arguing that the Cemetery Department is Distinct from the I.W.O.

Download PDF
Title:
Letter from Nahum Polak Arguing that the Cemetery Department is Distinct from the I.W.O.
Collection:
International Workers’ Order (IWO) and Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO)
Set:
Cold War
Creator:
Polak, Nahum
Date:
1952-06-11
Site:
New York, New York, United States
Address (Creator):
41 Union Square West, Room 1101, New York, New York
Identifier:
5276b43f04_18
Recipient:
Karlin, William
Organization:
International Workers Order, Cemetery Department
Language:
English
Work Type:
business letters
organization files
legal documents
historical figures
communism
insurance
political ideologies and attitudes
cemeteries
funerals
Subject:
Cold War- Red Scare
IWO Legal Issues
Communism
IWO JPFO Organizational History
IWO JPFO- Reports
Political
Membership- Benefits, Insurance, Cemetery, Political Issues
Fraternal Orders- Lodges, Activities
Jewish Lodges
Court Proceedings
Stipulation
Description:
2 pages. A letter to the New York State Insurance Department, describing the "I.W.O. Cemetery Department, Inc." as a corporation separate from the I.W.O. that solely handles funerals and cemetery plots and has its own office, board, and bookkeeping. Its rules and regulations are not a part of the I.W.O. constitution or by-laws, and its business not discussed at I.W.O. conventions, etc. Document states that the separate "IWO Cemetery Department, Inc."' was created in 1935; its origins and plots stem from a Jewish "Workers Social Improvement Association" founded in 1928-1929. As of April 1951, upon the advice of counsel and with New York State's [verbal] approval, it obtained its own office and employees and sends out its own bills. William Karlin is the Examiner from the New York State Insurance Department office installed at I.W.O. headquarters to control managing its assets and activities.
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:
21072599
21072587
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:
43
Folder:
4
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.