%xmlchars; ]> MS2012 Guide to the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington records, 1937-1988 Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Special Collections Research Center, The Gelman Library, The George Washington University 2007

2130 H. St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20052 Phone: 202-994-7549 Email: speccoll@gwu.edu

Machine-readable finding aid derived from Re:discovery database program and converted into xml; Code template by Archives and Information Associates (http://archivesandinformation.com), Alexandria, Virginia . 2007 Finding aid written in English Guide to the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington records, 1937-1988 MS2012 Special Collections Research Center, The Gelman Library, The George Washington University

Washington, D.C.

Processed by Special Collections Staff, 2007 Encoded by Jennifer King, 2008

Descriptive Summary Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington records, 1937-1988 MS2012 46 Linear feet Collection consists primarily of papers and printed matter generated by the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington, including meeting minutes, memoranda, correspondence, reports, and press releases. It also contains a number of photographs and a single audio cassette. The material ranges in date from 1937 to 1988, but the bulk of the material ranges from 1965 to 1979. The George Washington University, The Gelman Library, Special Collections Research Center

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English Information for Users Preferred citation

Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington records, Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University.

Restrictions on Access

Some records may be restricted.

Acquisition Information

The Records of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington were donated to the Gelman Library in 1986. Additional accessions were accepted in 1988 and 1992, and future accessions are expected.

Restrictions on Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Historical or Biographical Note

Since 1938, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington (now the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington) has served the Jewish community by responding to important issues and speaking out on behalf of the community's concerns. It aims to promote the cultural, social, economic, and philanthropic interests and advance the national and spiritual aspirations of Jewish people.

On March 6, 1938 twenty-five presidents of Jewish organizations in the greater Washington area joined together to consider the formation of a communal council capable of addressing the needs of the Jewish community in an organized and cohesive manner. From this initial meeting evolved the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington, D.C. (It was known as the Jewish Community Council of Washington until the late 1940's). They created the organization to respond to certain immediate social concerns, including the fate of Jews in Nazi Germany, as well as the specter of rising anti-Semitism in the United States. On 31 January 1939, the group held its first formal meeting and 73 representatives from 39 organizations approved a Constitution and By-Laws.

Rabbi Solomon Metz, Hymen Goldman, and Rabbi Isadore Breslau were among the founders of the Council and served in succession as its first three presidents. Their contributions shaped the Council, along with those of Isaac Franck, who from 1948 to 1973 was its Executive Director and its guiding force.

Born in Russia in 1909, Franck came to America as a teenager and studied at New York University, Columbia University, and Harvard University, eventually earning a Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Maryland in 1966.

When Franck arrived in Washington to take over the Council in 1948, there were approximately 60 Jewish organizations participating. When he retired in 1973, there were over 170. During Franck's time the Council grew dramatically and worked with other organizations and faiths to address a wide range of social and political problems. Among these were issues of civil rights and desegregation, education, assistance to the poor, and Home Rule for the District of Columbia.

After Frank's retirement, in the 1970's and 1980's, the concern for the treatment of Soviet Jews and issues of war and peace in Israel and the Middle East occupied much of the Council's agenda.

Collection Scope and Content

This collection consists primarily of papers and printed matter, including meeting minutes, memoranda, correspondence, reports, and press releases. It also contains a number of photographs and a single audio cassette. The material ranges in date from 1937 to 1988, but the bulk of the material ranges from 1965 to 1979.

The Administrative Files series contains documents such as the Constitution and By-Laws of the organization, meeting minutes, and budget reports, which provide a continuous record of the Council from 1938 to 1983. The Committees, Task Forces, and Working Groups series comprises almost half of the total collection, and contains material dealing with the plight of Soviet Jewry, Israel's relationship with countries in the Middle East, and committees formed to address social conditions within the Greater Washington Area. The Other Constituent Organizations series deals with organizations which address many of the same concerns the Council does, and which worked in collaboration with the Council in a number of ways. The Subject Files series covers a wide range of topics ranging from anti-Semitism to the Vietnam War. The Oversized Series contains a small number of materials too large to be kept in their original folders. The series arrangement established by the agency has been maintained, with the exception of moving materials on Isaac Franck from the Subject Files series to the Administrative Files series.

The collection contains significant material on various committees, namely the Executive Committee, the Intergroup Relations Committee, and the Soviet Jewry Committee. It contains less documenting the history of the Council's early years in the late 1930's and 1940's. In addition, with the exception of Isaac Franck, the collection lacks detailed information on the organization's prominent members and presidents.

The Records of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington were donated to the Gelman Library in 1986. Additional accessions were accepted in 1988 and 1992, and future accessions are expected. The Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington and individuals whose work forms part of this collection retain literary property rights. The main offices of the Council are currently located in Rockville, Maryland. Previously, they were located in downtown Washington, D.C.

Please note: this collection contains unprocessed materials. Ask staff about using this material.

Collection Organization

Organized into six series: Administrative files; Committees, task forces, and working groups; Other constituent organizations; Subject files; Oversized material; and Accession 2007.

Indexing Terms Individuals Franck, Isaac Corporate Entities Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington Topics Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington records Jews Antisemitism Middle East Israel Committees Vietnam war Jews, Soviet Geographic Locations Washington (D.C.) Detailed Description of the Records MS2012 Series 1 Administrative files, 1938-1985 6 Linear feet

This series documents the founding and early years of the Council. Topics include: delegate assembly, executive committee, organizational committees, and the Isaac Franck files. The bulk of the collection materials in this series are agendas, memoranda, minutes, lists of delegates/presidents, resolutions, reports, addresses, news releases, newsletters, correspondence, Constitution and By-Laws of the Council, budgets/expenditures, photographs, and newspaper clippings.

The material in this series is dated from 1938 to 1985, with the bulk spanning the years 1950 to 1975. Isaac Franck is included in this series because as Executive Director of the JCCGW from 1948 to 1973, he was instrumental in shaping its focus and direction in the formative years and beyond. These records are very useful in examining the evolution of the Council's organization, representation, and focus. Of particular interest in this series are the early Constitution and By-Laws. Also of note are the files of Isaac Franck, which include his personal correspondence and writings from 1942 to 1973, among them materials related to his 1957 trip to post-war Germany.

1 1 Delegate Assembly Records, 1943 1 2 Delegate Assembly Records, 1944-1946 1 3 Delegate Assembly Records, 1947-1949 1 4 Delegate Assembly Records, 1950-1951 1 5 Delegate Assembly Records, 1952-1953 1 6 Delegate Assembly Records, 1954 1 7 Delegate Assembly Records, 1955 1 8 Delegate Assembly Records, 1956 1 9 Delegate Assembly Records, 1957 1 10 Delegate Assembly Records, 1958-1959 1 11 Delegate Assembly Records, 1960 1 12 Delegate Assembly Records, 1961 1 13 Delegate Assembly Records, 1962-1963 1 14 Delegate Assembly Records, 1964 2 1 Delegate Assembly Records, 1966-1968 2 2 Delegate Assembly Records, 1970-1971 2 3 Delegate Assembly Records, 1972 2 4 Delegate Assembly Records, Jan-Mar, 1973 2 5 Delegate Assembly Records, Apr-Dec, 1973 2 6 Delegate Assembly Records, Jan-Apr, 1974 2 7 Delegate Assembly Records, May-June, 1974 2 8 Delegate Assembly Records, July-Dec, 1974 2 9 Delegate Assembly Records, 1975 2 10 Delegate Assembly Records, 1976 2 11 Delegate Assembly Records, 1977 2 12 Delegate Assembly Records, Jan-Apr, 1978 2 13 Delegate Assembly Records, May-Dec, 1978 2 14 Delegate Assembly Records, 1979-1980 3 1 Executive Committee Records, 1938-1939 3 2 Executive Committee Records, 1940-1941 3 3 Executive Committee Records, 1942 3 4 Executive Committee Records, 1943 3 5 Executive Committee Records, 1944 3 6 Executive Committee Records, 1945 3 7 Executive Committee Records, 1946 3 8 Executive Committee Records, 1947-1948 3 9 Executive Committee Records, 1949 3 10 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1950 3 11 Executive Committee Records, Mar-June, 1950 3 12 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Dec, 1950 3 13 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Apr, 1951 3 14 Executive Committee Records, May-Oct, 1951 3 15 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1951 3 16 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Apr, 1952 3 17 Executive Committee Records, May-July, 1952 3 18 Executive Committee Records, Aug-Oct, 1952 3 19 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1952 4 1 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1953 4 2 Executive Committee Records, 4 Feb, 1953 4 3 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1953 4 4 Executive Committee Records, May, 1953 4 5 Executive Committee Records, June, 1953 4 6 Executive Committee Records, Sep, 1953 4 7 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1953 4 8 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1953 4 9 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1954 4 10 Executive Committee Records, Mar, 1954 4 11 Executive Committee Records, Apr, 1954 4 12 Executive Committee Records, May, 1954 4 13 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1954 4 14 Executive Committee Records, Nov, 1954 4 15 Executive Committee Records, Dec, 1954 4 16 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Mar, 1955 4 17 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1955 4 18 Executive Committee Records, Sep, 1955 4 19 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1955 5 1 Executive Committee Records, Nov, 1955 5 2 Executive Committee Records, Dec, 1955 5 3 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1956 5 4 Executive Committee Records, Mar-June, 1956 5 5 Executive Committee Records, Sep, 1956 5 6 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1956 5 7 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1956 5 8 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1957 5 9 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1957 5 10 Executive Committee Records, Sep, 1957 5 11 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1957 5 12 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1957 5 13 Executive Committee Records, Jan, 1958 5 14 Executive Committee Records, Feb, 1958 5 15 Executive Committee Records, Mar, 1958 5 16 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1958 5 17 Executive Committee Records, Sept, 1958 5 18 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1958 5 19 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1958 6 1 Executive Committee Records, Feb-Mar, 1959 6 2 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1959 6 3 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1959 6 4 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1959 6 5 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1960 6 6 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1960 6 7 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1960 6 8 Executive Committee Records, July-Sep, 1960 6 9 Executive Committee Records, Oct-Dec, 1960 6 10 Executive Committee Records, Jan, 1961 6 11 Executive Committee Records, Feb-Mar, 1961 6 12 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1961 6 13 Executive Committee Records, Aug-Oct, 1961 6 14 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1961 6 15 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1962 6 16 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1962 6 17 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1962 6 18 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1962 6 19 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1962 7 1 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1963 7 2 Executive Committee Records, Mar, 1963 7 3 Executive Committee Records, Apr, 1963 7 4 Executive Committee Records, May-Aug, 1963 7 5 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1963 7 6 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1963 7 7 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1964 7 8 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1964 7 9 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1964 7 10 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1964 7 11 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1964 7 12 Executive Committee Records, Jan, 1965 7 13 Executive Committee Records, Feb, 1965 7 14 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1965 7 15 Executive Committee Records, May, 1965 7 16 Executive Committee Records, June, 1965 7 17 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1965 7 18 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1965 7 19 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1966 7 20 Executive Committee Records, Mar, 1966 7 21 Executive Committee Records, Apr, 1966 7 22 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1966 7 23 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1966 7 24 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1966 8 1 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1967 8 2 Executive Committee Records, Mar-May, 1967 8 3 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Dec, 1967 8 4 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1968 8 5 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1968 8 6 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1968 8 7 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1968 8 8 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1968 8 9 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1969 8 10 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1969 8 11 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1969 8 12 Executive Committee Records, Aug-Sep, 1969 8 13 Executive Committee Records, Oct, 1969 8 14 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1969 8 15 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1970 8 16 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1970 8 17 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1970 8 18 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1970 8 19 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1970 8 20 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Apr, 1971 8 21 Executive Committee Records, May-Dec, 1971 8 22 Executive Committee Records, Jan-June, 1972 8 23 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Dec, 1972 9 1 Executive Committee Records, Jan, 1973 9 2 Executive Committee Records, Feb, 1973 9 3 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1973 9 4 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1973 9 5 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1973 9 6 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1973 9 7 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1974 9 8 Executive Committee Records, Mar, 1974 9 9 Executive Committee Records, Apr, 1974 9 10 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1974 9 11 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1974 9 12 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1974 9 13 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1975 9 14 Executive Committee Records, Mar-May, 1975 9 15 Executive Committee Records, June-Aug, 1975 9 16 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1975 9 17 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1975 9 18 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1976 9 19 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1976 9 20 Executive Committee Records, May-July, 1976 9 21 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1976 9 22 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1976 10 1 Executive Committee Records, Jan, 1977 10 2 Executive Committee Records, Feb-Mar, 1977 10 3 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1977 10 4 Executive Committee Records, Aug-Oct, 1977 10 5 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1977 10 6 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Feb, 1978 10 7 Executive Committee Records, Mar-Apr, 1978 10 8 Executive Committee Records, May-June, 1978 10 9 Executive Committee Records, July, 1978 10 10 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Oct, 1978 10 11 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1978 10 12 Executive Committee Records, Jan-June, 1979 10 13 Executive Committee Records, Aug-Dec, 1979 10 14 Executive Committee Records. Jan-Mar, 1980 10 15 Executive Committee Records, Apr-Aug, 1980 10 16 Executive Committee Records, Sep-Dec, 1980 10 17 Executive Committee Records, Jan-June, 1981 10 18 Executive Committee Records, July-Oct, 1981 10 19 Executive Committee Records, Nov-Dec, 1981 10 20 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Mar, 1982 10 21 Executive Committee Records, Apr-Sep, 1982 10 22 Executive Committee Records, Oct-Dec, 1982 10 23 Executive Committee Records, Jan-Mar, 1983 10 24 Executive Committee Records, Apr-June, 1983 11 1 Isaac Franck Files, 1942-1953 11 2 Isaac Franck Files, 1954 11 3 Isaac Franck Files, 1955 11 4 Isaac Franck Files, 1956-1957 11 5 Isaac Franck Files - Germany Trip, 1957 11 6 Isaac Franck Files - Germany Trip, 1957 11 7 Isaac Franck Files, 1958-1960 11 8 Isaac Franck Files, 1962-1963 11 9 Isaac Franck Files, 1964-1967 11 10 Isaac Franck Files, 1968 11 11 Isaac Franck Files, 1969 11 12 Isaac Franck Files, 1970-1971 11 13 Isaac Franck Files, 1972-1973 11 14 Isaac Franck Files - Retirement, 1973 11 15 Isaac Franck Files - Retirement, 1973 11 16 Isaac Franck Files, 1978 11 17 Isaac Franck Files - Death, 1985 MS2012 Series 2 Committees, task torces, and working groups, 1941-1983 22.5 Linear feet

This series is comprised of seven separate committees, task forces, and working groups within the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington over the years. These groups include: bicentennial commission, community task force, holocaust committee, intergroup relations, urban affairs/social action committee, Soviet Jewry, Israel and the Middle East, and miscellaneous committees, task forces. The most prominent among these are the Soviet Jewry and Israel and the Middle East committees. The bulk of the materials comprising this series are reports, budgets, memoranda, correspondence, photographs, booklets, minutes, newsletters, and transcripts. The material in this series is dated from 1941 to 1983, with the bulk of it covering the years from 1968 to 1979. The committees and task forces contained in this series demonstrate the commitment of the local Jewish community to social and political issues both at home and abroad.

12 1 Bicentennial Commission: Jewish Bicentennial Commission of Greater Washington, 24 Oct, 1977 12 2 Bicentennial Commission: Jewish Bicentennial Commission of Greater Washington - General Correspondence, 1974-1976 12 3 Bicentennial Commission: Jewish Bicentennial Commission of Greater Washington - Memorandum, 1975-1976 12 4 Bicentennial Commission: Jewish Bicentennial Commission of Greater Washington - New Releases, 1975-1977 12 5 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Finance Committee, 1975-1976 12 6 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Jewish Guidebook, 1975-1976 12 7 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Jewish Guidebook - Drafts, 1976 12 8 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Tapestry Project, 1976-1977 12 9 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 10 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 11 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 12 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 13 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 14 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 15 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 16 Bicentennial Commission: Bicentennial Symposium, 6-7 Nov, 1976 12 17 Bicentennial Commission: American Jewish Committee - Programming for the Bicentennial, 1975-1976 12 18 Bicentennial Commission: American Jewish Music - A Bicentennial Celebration, 1975 12 19 Bicentennial Commission: Articles and Addresses on the American Jewish Experience, 1975-1976 12 20 Bicentennial Commission: B'nai B'rith Bicentennial Committee, 1975-1976 12 21 Bicentennial Commission: Board of Jewish Education Reporter - "Salute to America,", 1975 12 22 Bicentennial Commission: Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds - Council Reports, 1975 12 23 Bicentennial Commission: Jewish Bicentennial Conferences, 1975-1976 12 24 Bicentennial Commission: National Jewish Welfare Board, 1975-1976 12 25 Bicentennial Commission: "Portal to America" - Program and Exhibition, 1974 13 1 Community Task Force - Memos, Reports, 1973 13 2 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, Jan, 1974 13 3 Community Task Force - Memos, Correspondence, Feb-Dec, 1974 13 4 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, 1975-1976 13 5 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, Jan-May, 1977 13 6 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, June-Dec, 1977 13 7 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, Jan-June, 1978 13 8 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, July-Dec, 1978 13 9 Community Task Force - Memos, Minutes, Correspondence, 1979 13 10 Community Task Force - Clergy Committee, 1974 13 11 Community Task Force - Clergy Committee, 1976-1977 13 12 Community Task Force - Clergy Committee, 1978 13 13 Community Task Force - Economic Affairs Committee, 1975 13 14 Community Task Force - Economic Affairs Committee, Jan-July, 1976 13 15 Community Task Force - Economic Affairs Committee, Aug-Dec, 1976 13 16 Community Task Force - Economic Affairs Committee, 1977 13 17 Community Task Force - Media Committee, 1974 13 18 Community Task Force - Media Committee, 1975 13 19 Community Task Force - Media Committee, 1976 13 20 Community Task Force - Media Committee, Jan-Apr, 1977 13 21 Community Task Force - Media Committee, May-July, 1977 13 22 Community Task Force - Media Committee, Aug-Dec, 1977 14 1 Holocaust Committee Records, 1977 14 2 Holocaust Committee Records, 1978 14 3 Holocaust Committee Records, 1978 14 4 Holocaust Committee Records, 1979 14 5 Holocaust Committee Records, 1980 14 6 Holocaust Committee Records, 1981 14 7 Holocaust Committee: Yad Vashem Sub-Committee, 1975-1980 14 8 Holocaust Committee: Yad Vashem - A Page of Testimony, 1977-1979 14 9 Holocaust Committee: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Memorial Day, 29 Apr, 1973 14 10 Holocaust Committee: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Memorial Day, 21 Apr, 1974 14 11 Holocaust Committee: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Memorial Day, 6 Apr, 1975 14 12 Holocaust Committee: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Memorial Day, 6 Apr, 1975 14 13 Holocaust Committee: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Memorial Day, 25 Apr, 1976