Rice, James P., 1913-1997

Collection includes interviews with 26 individuals actively involved in the development of the Jewish Federation movement. They are William Avrunin, Lavy Becker, Phillip Bernstein, Toby E. Citrin, Rosalie Cohen, Arnald & Madelein Epstein, Jacob (Jack) Fisher, Max Martin Fisher, Louis J. Fox, Sam Goldsmith, Maurice Hexter, Robert Hiller, Jack Kravitz, Robert Morris, Stanley Myers, James P. Rice, Esther Leah Ritz, Dan Rosenberg, William Rosenwald, Florence Hutner Rosichan, Fannie Schaenen, Samuel J. Silberman, Sanford Solender, Lewis H. Weinstein, George Wolfe, and Henry L. Zucker.

The papers consist of correspondence and reports of Cecelia Razovsky (married name: Davidson), noted social worker specializing in immigration and resettlement of refugees. The collection includes information about her work with the National Council of Jewish Women in the 1920s, and with the National Refugee Service (and predecessor organizations) in the 1930s. Information is included about her work as a Resettlement Supervisor in the post-World War II Displaced Persons camps in Europe, and as a field worker in the southwestern U.S. for the United Service for New Americans in 1950. The collection contains reports and correspondence from her trips to South America, primarily Brazil, to explore possibilities of refugee settlement in 1937 and 1946; as a representative for United HIAS Service to aid in settling Egyptian and Hungarian refugees in 1957-1958; and as a pleasure trip and evaluation of the changes in the Jewish community of the country in 1963. Also included in the collection are many of Razovsky's articles, plays, and pamphlets.

The records of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, now known as HIAS, comprise much of the history of HIAS through the second half of the 20th century, primarily through the files created by leadership based in the New York headquarters. Since the 1880s HIAS has worked with immigrants and refugees to help them emigrate legally from their home countries to safe resettlement in the United States and elsewhere, and they continue this work today. The records focus on files of the Executive Directors, including James P. Rice, Gaynor I. Jacobson and Karl D. Zukerman, and other material created by executive staff and by the Board of Directors. Also of importance is the work of the HIAS United States Operations Department in the New York office, handling the everyday details of immigration documentation, migration issues and resettlement activities in connection with communities throughout the United States, and in coordination with HIAS staff in overseas offices and the other departments in New York and Washington, D.C. In addition, more than 1100 files of legacy photographs have been digitized as part of this project and made accessible online.

This collection contains the combined records of the Jewish United Fund and the Jewish Welfare Board. Includes minutes and reports from the Board of Directors, correspondence, records from various committees such as the finance and public affairs committees, and records from funded organizations such as the Board of Jewish Education.