Latin America

This collection contains materials pertaining to the life and career of Boris Smolar, a journalist and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and an author of children's books.

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.

The collection documents the work of Henry Besso and reflects various aspects of his professional life, personal research and writings in the field of Sephardic culture, Spanish language and linguistics, and Sephardic and Spanish history. Collection also documents Besso's involvement with Sephardic organizations and communities. Collection includes audio materials, brochures, booklets, clippings, conference procedures, correspondence, government publications, minutes, notes, photographs, printed matter, reports, speeches, and writings and translations by Henry Besso and others.

The collection represents the papers of Morris David Waldman (1879-1963), a rabbi, social worker and communal leader, who was appointed executive secretary of one of the main Jewish defense organizations, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), in 1928. The executive secretary had top executive function at the organization and was in charge of working out and implementing the organization’s projects and policies regarding monitoring the civil and human rights of the Jews, and intervening on behalf of the Jews both in the U.S. and abroad. In 1942, Waldman was promoted to executive vice-president, a position he held until his retirement in 1945. The Morris Waldman Files relate to all of Waldman's activities as acting executive secretary and vice-president of the AJC.