Kohut, George Alexander, 1874-1933

This Collection consists primarily of English, German, Hebrew, and French language correspondence concerning Reform Judaism, Zionism; the founding of the American Jewish Historical Society; the Jewish Publication Society; B'nai B'rith; the legal position of Jews in England and the United States with particular reference to the Naturalization Acts; the religious and social life and the history of Jews in Russia and Poland; Bible readings in public schools; the study of Jesus in Jewish Sabbath Schools; anti-slavery issues in the Fremont Campaign in 1856; and other correspondence pertaining to his numerous activities.

Consists largely of photographs, illustrations, and manuscript drafts of George S. Hellman's Benjamin N. Cardozo, American Judge (New York, 1940); a copy of a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt to the author in tribute to Cardozo (1939); a note by Hellman containing personal observations regarding Cardozo's funeral; nine letters by Cardozo, including one to Louise W. Wise (1929), and four to George A. Kohut (1931-2), one of which reflects Cardozo's reaction to the possibility of being appointed a U.S. Supreme Court Judge. Part of one letter appeared in PAJHS, v. 59.

The Papers of Max J. Kohler (1871-1934) document his life's work as lawyer, historian, writer, researcher, and defender of Jewish and immigrant rights. Correspondents include many of Kohler's contemporaries in the field of history and immigration law including Cyrus Adler; William Taft; John Bassett Moore; Mortimer Schiff; David Hunter Miller; Baron and Baroness de Hirsch; the Straus Family including Oscar Straus; Luigi Luzzatti; Leon Huhner; and Julian Mack. Subjects include U.S. immigration law, American-Jewish history, Col. Alfred Dreyfus, Haym Salomon, Ellis Island, Rabbi Kaufmann Kohler, the publication God in Freedom, international treaties, and the Peace Conference of 1919.

Contains eight letters, written in German, to R. Ratz of Berlin, regarding personal and professional matters. Also includes a German article, written in response to George A. Kohut's articles on the Inquisition in South America, which appear in vols. 3 and 4 of Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society. Of specific interest to Kayserling is Thomas Treviño de Sobremonte of Mexico.

The collection has been arranged according to the following broad subject areas: personal affairs; speeches, sermons, and articles, both manuscript and published; the Free Synagogue in New York City; the Jewish Institute of Religion; American Jewish affairs; relations between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities; New York City affairs; United States affairs; the press (both Jewish and non-Jewish); world affairs; the American Jewish Congress and World Jewish Congress; refugees; Zionism; Palestine and Israel; arts and letters; and individual corrspondence of a general nature.