Council of Jews from Germany

This collection holds materials relating to the life and work of Alfred Karger, a German lawyer who immigrated to Ecuador in 1941. In addition to biographical materials this collection also contains some of Alfred Karger's writings, mainly published articles, and correspondence with different individuals and organizations, related to various topics between 1945 and 1968.

The American Federation of Jews from Central Europe Collection consists of the Federation’s office files. This includes professional correspondence, by-laws, materials related to meetings and lectures, newspaper clippings, photographs, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, drafts, financial records, legal documents and forms, materials related to immigration and naturalization, newsletters and circulars, membership records, personnel files, restitution materials, oral history transcripts, and items of various related organizations and synagogues. There are also some personal documents sent to the AFJCE by members of the public.

The Collection contains correspondence of CENTRA, the Council of Jews from Germany, the Irgun Olej Merkaz Europa, the Leo Baeck Institute in Jerusalem, and others. Topics include the Spanish translations of LBI publications and the collaboration of the Council of Jews from Germany with CENTRA. Mentioned is the possibility of establishing a permanent representation of the Leo Baeck Institute in Buenos Aires. A point of concern is the preservation of the German-Jewish heritage in Latin American congregations and organizations of CENTRA. Included are various materials on CENTRA's congresses as well as completed questionnaires about the German-Jewish communities and institutions in South America.

This collection contains the records of the Council of Jews from Germany (Council for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Jews from Germany). It represents the interests of former German Jews in matters of restitution and indemnification, legislation, contacts with successor organizations for heirless Jewish property in West Germany, and social work activities, and was a founding member of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany (the Claims Conference). The records primarily range from the 1950s to the 1970s, and include correspondence concerning all aspects of restitution, particularly with the Claims Conference, internal minutes and other administrative and financial documents, and a small amount of cultural material.

The collection documents the life and interests of Curt C. Silberman. There are only a few materials related to his life in Germany and his and family's immigration. The bulk of the collection consists of documents and correspondence related to his involvement with Jewish organizations in the US and his visits to Germany, especially his hometown Wuerzburg.

The collection documents the life and professional activities of the German-born attorney Curt Silberman, in the period of his life following his emigration to the United States, from the 1940s to the 1990s. The materials include correspondence; manuscripts of speeches; ephemera; clippings; publications such as organizational newsletters and anniversary booklets; and photographs. The majority of the materials relate, on the one hand, to Silberman's service in and engagement with social welfare, cultural and educational organizations and institutions, including the American Federation of Jews from Central Europe and allied organizations; and, on the other, to his activities as a lecturer and speaker, both in the United States and (from the 1960s on) in Germany, especially his hometown of Würzburg, on topics including the commemoration of Kristallnacht, German Jewish history, and aspects of international law.

The collection includes materials related to the professional and personal life of the German-born businessman Fred W. Lessing, in the period following his immigration to the United States in 1942. Approximately half of the collection by extent comprises correspondence and documents pertaining to Lessing's restitution claims, including documentation related to the brickworks and brewery businesses of his father, Willy Lessing, and correspondence in the early postwar years with his father's former bookkeeper, Franz Bütterich, of Bamberg, who had served as a trustee for the firm under the Nazi regime from 1938 to 1943. Other materials relate to Fred Lessing's activities as a member of the board of the Leo Baeck Institute, New York, and as a member of the executive committee of the Wiener Library, London. Also included are materials concerning the history of the Jews of Bamberg, and postwar commemorative activities there; documents and notes pertaining to Lessing's family history; and a relatively small amount of personal correspondence and ephemera, including some pertaining to Lessing's receiving an honorary doctorate at Tel Aviv University.

The collection consists of material pertaining to Rabbi Leo Baeck. The material, mostly secondary, was collected by the Leo Baeck Institute’s staff and in some cases bear markings and notes by the Institute’s staff.

The bulk of the collection consists of letters of recommendation for Hans Reichmann, including - among many others - Rabbi Leo Baeck and Thomas Mann (copy). Also included are clippings with articles by Hans Reichmann, as well as a copy of his Dr.jur thesis.

The Hans Tramer Collection consists of 8 boxes and 52 folders.

This collection contains post-World War Two restitution matters primarily sent from the Council of Jews from Germany. It includes meeting minutes as well as internal and external correspondence relating to Council for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Jews From Germany (later the Council of Jews from Germany), as well as other organizations including the American Federation of Jews from Central Europe, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany (Claims Conference), the Jewish Restitution Successor Organization (JRSO), the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI), and the United Restitution Organization (URO). Some documents have annotations from the German-Jewish attorney Hermann Simon.

The collection contains the correspondence of the Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem from 1950 up until 2005 and comprises 42 folders. The file contains internal correspondence of the institute's staff, as well as correspondence with other individuals and institutions. The correspondence includes minutes of meetings, requests for support, applications for scholarships, and research inquiries. It also addresses topics such as book publishing, donations of archival materials, cooperation with other institutes, and current affairs.

The collection consists of 6 boxes and 46 folders.

Published articles by the lawyer and Jewish community leader Walter Breslauer on matters of interest for German Jewish refugees after World War Two, including legal matters; international law; questions concerning restitution for German refugees; articles about Jewish personalities; and articles about the Jewish community in Berlin.

Various materials in 3 folders concerning Jewish claims and options of compensation for lost property after the end of War World II. Included are correspondence and various writings; minutes of meetings; as well as newspaper clippings.