Breira (Organization : New York)

The collection consists of material relating to the organization, positions, activities and contracts of Breira, from 1972-1979. Breira worked to promote discussion among the public about issues primarily concerning contemporary Israeli politics such as the Palestinians, peace, Israeli-Diaspora relations, and alternatives facing the State of Israel.

The collection consists of correspondence, articles, documents, publications and other materials gathered by Elie Faust-Levy personally and arising from her work as a journalist and as managing editor for the Women's American ORT Reporter. One major topic in the collection is the dissent in the American Jewish community during the 1970's concerning the controversial organization Breira, an associate of which was one of Levy's contributors at the Reporter. Contains articles produced by Breira, (1975-1976), internal publicity and membership information, copies of InterChange, a Breira publication (1975-1977), and mailings relating to it (1976-1977), as well as materials from a 1977 Breira national membership conference. Also includes articles relating to the debate about Breira in the Jewish press (1977-1978), as well as Levy's own, and ORT's internal correspondence regarding their involvement in the controversy, based on a 1977 article in Vol. 27, no. 3 of the Reporter by a writer linked to Breira. The American Sephardic community is the other major topic in the collection, and included are materials from several Sephardic organizations from the 1970's, such as the American Sephardi Federation, the Sephardic Caucus at the 1972 American Zionist Federation, and the Central Sephardic Jewish Community of America. There also are publications and correspondence of The Foundation for the Advancement on Sephardic Studies and Culture, established to promote the Sephardi heritage. Of particular interest are materials relating to the organizations's response to Stephen Birmingham's depiction of American Sephardim in his 1971 book, The Grandees, of which Levy had written a review. Several Sephardic American periodicals and newsletters, or articles on Sephardic American Jewry in Jewish periodicals (1972-1976) are also included.

This collection contains the papers of Rabbi Gerald Serotta, a founder of Breira and the New Jewish Agenda. The materials found in the collection date from the 1970s and 1980s and mostly document the founding of and controversy surrounding Breira and the founding of the New Jewish Agenda.

This collection includes materials documenting the activities and publications of independent and activist American Jewish organizations. Sample news publications from a variety of independent presses are included, as are a variety of home-published newsletters and flyers. The collection addresses anti-war protests and U.S. draft avoidance; American Jewish activism on Israel; feminist involvement in Judaism; socialism and radicalism; and international affairs. Materials include newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, news clippings, articles, limited correspondence, speech notes, reports, and flyers.