Anglo-Jewish Association: Reports and other papers

Papers of Anglo-Jewish Association, 1956-1960, comprise press releases containing paragraphs on the role of the organisation, on the organisation's involvement in the Claims Conference, on the views of the organisation's President with respect to the Middle East and world affairs, 1956; statement by the President, Mr R N Carvalho, 1957; speech by Carvalho at a dinner to mark the centenary of the political emancipation of British Jews, 1958; notes on the proposal to transfer the Human Rights Commission into a specialised agency of UNO by Leon Zeitlin, 1960.

The Anglo-Jewish Association was a British organisation originally founded for the protection of Jewish rights in developing countries by diplomatic means. Its objectives and activities were patterned after those of the Alliance Israelite Universelle. It was established in 1871 when its first president was Jacob Waley; five Jewish MPs were vice presidents. By 1900 it had 36 branches, 14 in British colonies. In 1871 it was instrumental in securing the creation of the Rumanian Committee and in 1882 collaborated in establishing the Russo-Jewish Committee. From 1881 it cooperated with the Board of Deputies of British Jews in the Conjoint Foreign Committee.

The AJA undertook educational work among 'under-developed' Jewish communities, maintaining schools in Baghdad, Aden, Mogador, Jerusalem, and other places. In 1893 it became associated with the direction of the Jewish Colonization Association. As its president, Claude Montefiore condemned the Balfour Declaration. After the Board of Deputies became overwhelmingly Zionist in 1940, the AJA, under Leonard J Stein became a rallying point of non-Zionist sentiment; as a result, ostensibly because it was not a democratically elected body, its representation on the Joint Foreign Committee was reduced and then abolished. After the establishment of the state of Israel it modified its attitude to Zionism. It published the Jewish Monthly (1947-1952), and the AJA Review (1944-1955), which was superseded by the AJA Quarterly .

Chronological

Open

Alfred Wiener

Descriptions of this archive exist on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

The main archive of the Anglo-Jewish Association is held at Southampton University

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.