General Jewish Council

In an effort to coordinate their minority rights defense activities, the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, B’nai B’rith and Jewish Labor Committee founded the General Jewish Council at a June 13, 1938 conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While spearheading the formation of the General Jewish Council, which was known as the General Council for Jewish Rights in its early days, Edgar J. Kaufmann called on national and local Jewish defense and communal agency leaders to endorse the move, citing the following impetus: “The tragic plight of millions of Jews throughout Europe, -- concentration camps, public degradations, mass disenfranchisements, confiscations, ruthless expulsion of our people, -- the spectre of increasing race prejudice, intolerance and insecurity, -- these terrible forces of evil demand the most effective union possible of American Jewry at once.” 1 For Kaufmann and the leaders of the four organizations, this “most effective union” meant the development of a common voice on the subject of rights protection for the Jewish community. In August 1938, eight representatives from the organizations met in New York City, which would be home to the General Jewish Council, and agreed on a constitution. The aim of the Council, as the constitution defined it, was to “consider and act upon proposals and plans for safeguarding the equal rights of Jews here and abroad.” 2

The initial goal to address both domestic and international concerns shifted slightly in practice. There was often a lack of consensus between the four organizations on an approach to Jewish rights abroad. While the Council did issue public statements on behalf of European Jews and studied efforts at rescue and relief, the Council’s attention largely focused on the U.S.

On the domestic front, the Council investigated and evaluated state and federal legislative policy affecting rights, group libel cases and organizations of interest, such as the American League to Combat Antisemitism and various American Jewish press organizations. On the basis of that research the Council issued statements and recommendations to and on behalf of its constituent organizations, thereby streamlining the four organizations’ defense reactions.

There was frequent internal debate over the effectiveness and aims of the Council. In April 1941, the possibility of terminating the Council was floated, and the American Jewish Congress withdrew. The three remaining constituent organizations continued with the Council until 1944, when the Council was formally dissolved and the Council’s leaders and four founding organizations joined with the Council of Jewish Federations to form a new umbrella organization, the National Community Relations Advisory Council.

From the guide to the General Jewish Council Records, 1934-1947, (American Jewish Historical Society)