Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Jews in America's Freedom Struggles

Download PDF
Title:
Jews in America's Freedom Struggles
Title (Yiddish):
יידן אין אמעריקעס פרייהייט קאמפן
Romanized Title (Yiddish):
Yidn in Amerikes frayhayt kemfn
Collection:
International Workers’ Order (IWO) and Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO)
Set:
Black Jewish Relations
Cold War
Culture Front
Education
Creator:
Schappes, Morris U. (Morris Urman), 1907-
Creator (Yiddish):
שאפּעס, מ
Date:
1949-04-30
Site:
New York, New York, United States
Address (Creator):
80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
Identifier:
5276b68f07_01
Organization:
National School and Culture Committee of the Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order of the I.W.O. (U.S.)
Transcription:
Jewish People in American Freedom [Labor] Organizations by M. Shapes
Language:
Yiddish
Work Type:
printed ephemera
pamphlets
political ideologies and attitudes
educating
ethnohistory
histories
resumes
resistance movements
biographies
depictions
drawings (visual works)
political ideologies and attitudes
Subject:
Jewish History Week
Postwar Jewish Programs
Education- Shule, Ordn Schools, Other
Youth
Jewish Left
Labor-Unionization
Antisemitism
Postwar Jewish Culture- U.S.
Postwar Order and Social Contract
Americanization
Cold War- Red Scare, Jewish Community
Jewish Lodges
Culture Front- Publishing
Description:
15 pages. Pamphlet, published by the National School and Culture Committee. Translated Summary: An introduction to the history of Jews in America, for Jewish History Week, April 24-30, 1949. Introduction describes aims of Jewish History Week, and organizing strategies. Early Jewish presence in the Americas and the 17th century granting of religious rights, including the right to serve in the military, own property, establish communal cemeteries. Topics include Jews in the American Revolution; Jews, slavery and the Civil War; Jews in the fight for women's rights; Jews in workers movements. Schappes was a well known historian and author who was fired by City College due to his politics and who went on to become the editor of the JPFO affiliated journal Jewish Currents (originally Jewish Life).
Note:
Yiddish orthography is interesting not least the spelling of America
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.
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:
68
Folder:
7
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.