American Jewish Congress (AJCongress)

The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress), founded in 1918, was created to combat anti-Semitism and address the issues facing Jews in Europe. It eventually became a central agency for American Jewish community relations. Its origins stemmed from the perceived lack of representation by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for the broader Jewish community, particularly those of East European origin, who felt excluded by the “aristocratic” German-Jewish leadership.

The AJCongress emerged from the first American Jewish Congress convening in Philadelphia in December 1918. Key figures such as Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and Supreme Court Justices Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter were among its founders. The initial goals were to provide humanitarian aid to European Jews after World War I and to reestablish a Jewish political presence in Palestine. The debate between East European and German Jews, and between Zionists and anti-Zionists, focused on creating a congress to represent American Jewish interests at the postwar peace conference. The initial constituency of the AJCongress was mainly Zionist, with other voices added after its reorganization in 1928. Although Congress initially intended to dissolve after completing its postwar program, delegates reconvened in 1920 to lay the foundation for a permanent body. In 1922, a permanent AJCongress was established, though it was only fully organized in 1928. AJCongress became a membership-based organization that did not claim to represent all U.S. Jews.

In the 1930s, the AJCongress became a leading force in the anti-Nazi movement, working to aid victims of Hitlerism and arouse American public opinion against anti-Semitism. The AJCongress also sought to combat anti-Semitic manifestations in America. In 1933, Louise Waterman Wise founded the Women’s Division of the AJCongress, which played a crucial role in organizing a boycott of German goods and services with the Jewish Labor Committee. The Women’s Division emphasized local focus and industry knowledge to reshape boycott efforts, advocating for both European Jews and American democracy while combatting fascist threats to women’s rights. In the mid-1930s, the AJCongress helped establish the World Jewish Congress (WJC).

During World War II, the AJCongress served as a liaison between the U.S. government and the WJC regarding rescue efforts for European Jews. While the AJCongress focused on rescuing Jews, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) worked on establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. In August 1942, Rabbi Wise received the Riegner Cable, reporting the Nazi plan to murder European Jews, prompting the AJCongress to convene a Joint Emergency Committee to push the Roosevelt administration for further rescue measures.

By 1945, the AJCongress shifted its focus towards promoting social legislation and strengthening American democracy, emphasizing eliminating bigotry and advancing civil liberties. The establishment of the Commission on Law and Social Action (CLSA) aimed to address the constitutional grievances of American Jews through legislative and judicial measures. Over the years, the AJCongress has come to view itself as the “lawyer” for the American Jewish community.

The AJCongress was a vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, standing in solidarity with Martin Luther King Jr., who addressed its convention in 1958. During the decade, the Congress participated in the March on Washington, where King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The organization’s approach to pluralism differed from that of the AJC or the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), emphasizing advocacy of group interests through proper channels.

The Congress adopted a pro-Israel stance in Zionist affairs, distinguishing itself as one of the only American Jewish groups, aside from Zionist organizations, to support Zionism from its inception.

In 1984, the organization established the Commission for Women’s Equality to promote women’s rights and feminism within the Jewish community.

Today, the AJCongress continues to shape the Jewish voice, working with international bodies such as the United Nations, the Israeli government, and the U.S. government to advance Jewish rights and foster understanding of Israel. For over a century, the organization has defended domestic and international Jewish interests through public policy, advocacy, and legislation.

Sources: “About Us,” AJCongress.
Jerome Chanes, “American Jewish Congress (AJCongress),” Encylopedia.com.
Jerry Kutnick, “American Jewish Congress,” Encylopedia.com.
“American Jewish Congress (AJC),” Encylopedia.com.
“American Jewish Congress,” Holocaust Encylopedia.
“American Jewish Congress (AJC),” Stanford MLK Jr. Research and Education Institute.
Stuart Svonkin, Hannah Zaves-Greene, “American Jewish Congress,” Jewish Women’s Archive, (August 16, 2021).