Guide to the Papers of Philip Lax (1920-2012), undated, 1915, 1917, 1944-2003, 2005-2008 (bulk 1970s-1980s)
 
*P-915

Series I: American Jewish Historical Society, undated, 1969-1970, 1977, 1982-1994, 1996-2003, 2007-2008.

Arrangement:

Arranged into three subseries.

Scope and Content:

This series comprises the records of the American Jewish Historical Society. The series is divided into three subseries:

Subseries 1: Board of Trustees, Executive Council, and Committee Meetings
Subseries 2: Annual Meetings and Conferences
Subseries 3: Organizational Records

Subseries 1: Board of Trustees, Executive Council, and Committee Meetings, 1984-1994, 1998-2002, 2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Boxes 1 and 2, ranging from Box 1, Folder 1 to Box 2, Folder 18. The subseries is comprised of materials relating to the meetings of the following types of boards and committees of the American Jewish Historical Society: Academic Council, Ad Hoc Location Committee, Administrative Committee, Board of Trustees, Executive Council, History of American Jewish Civilization Committee, Library Committee, and Library and Archives Committee. Folders in this series are arranged alphabetically by type of meeting, then chronologically, with each distinct meeting in its own individual folder. For additional meetings, see Series I: American Jewish Historical Society, Subseries 2: Annual Meetings and Conferences.

The types of materials present from these meetings include: minutes, budgets, lists of planned programs and exhibits at the Society, correspondence about when and where meetings will take place, agendas, lists of committee members and officers, reports, annual reports on the status of the AJHS library, audits of the Society's financial statements by CPAs, memorandums, statements of revenues and expenditures, nominations for committees and boards, recommendations concerning expenditures of restricted funds, financial reports, Statement of Accession and Deaccession Polices and Procedures, and the Society's Constitution and By-Laws.

Subseries 2: Annual Meetings and Conferences, 1983-1989, 1992.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Box 2, Folders 19-26. This subseries is comprised of materials relating to annual meetings and national conferences of the American Jewish Historical Society. Folders in this series are arranged alphabetically by type of meeting, then chronologically, with each distinct meeting in its own individual folder. For additional meetings, see Series I: American Jewish Historical Society, Subseries 1: Board of Trustees, Executive Council, and Committee Meetings.

The types of material present from these meetings include: minutes, registration information, information packets, agendas, a report of the executive director, a list of organization records in the Society's collection, a list of individual and family records in the Society's collection, budgets, statements of revenues and expenditures, nominations for awards, nominations for committees, committee appointments, reports on the status of the library, speeches, a draft of a Preservation Planning Survey, memorandums, and the Society's Constitution and By-Laws.

Subseries 3: Organizational Records, undated, 1969-1970, 1977, 1982-1994, 1996-2003, 2008.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items from this subseries are located in Boxes 2 and 3, ranging from Box 2, Folder 27 to Box 3, Folder 8. The subseries represents general information about the American Jewish Historical Society and its functions as well as some special events.

Among the general information is a fact sheet with a brief history of the Society as well as information concerning its core functions. There are also pamphlets profiling AJHS and its services, including the library, genealogical resources, publications, and outreach programs. Also included is a list of members of the American Jewish Historical Society and their addresses. General correspondence in this subseries concerns meetings of the Society, membership dues, fundraising, long-range planning, award nominations, publications, special events and exhibits, and the creation of an archive on Jews in sports.

Publications from this series include: News from the American Jewish Historical Society, American Jewish Historical Quarterly, American Jewish Historical Society Heritage, American Jewish History, and Local Jewish Historical Society News. There is also a lengthy proposal for a five-volume publication entitled The American Jewish Civilization Series. There are also three newspaper clippings about the Society as well as two relevant journal articles: "The Holocaust as an American Jewish Experience" (Peter Novick) and "We Are What We Collect, We Collect What We Are: Archives and the Construction of Identity" (Elisabeth Kaplan). Lastly, director of AJHS Michael Feldberg wrote a series of vignettes entitled "Chapters in American Jewish History," which are also included.

The last two folders of the series relate to special events of the American Jewish Historical Society, the first being a celebration of the 350^th anniversary of Jewish Settlement in the United States. Included are a report about how AJHS planned to participate in the celebration of this milestone, correspondence related to the anniversary, a report on celebrations of the 250^th anniversary of Jewish settlement in the United States, and a report on a project of conservation and microfilming of AJHS's colonial American Jewish collections undertaken in anticipation of the 350^th anniversary. Lastly, this subseries contains correspondence about, speeches given at, and programs from the Society's annual Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Award Dinners.

Series II: B'nai B'rith International, undated, 1959-1975, 1977-1996, 2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged into seven subseries.

Scope and Content:

This series comprises the records of B'nai B'rith International. The series is divided into seven subseries:

Subseries 1: Organizational Records
Subseries 2: Campaign
Subseries 3: Correspondence
Subseries 4: Board of Governors, Executive Committee, District, Other Meetings
Subseries 5: Rutgers-Douglass Hillel Foundation
Subseries 6: Speeches
Subseries 7: Publications

Subseries 1: Organizational Records, undated, 1961-1974, 1977, 1979-1994, 1996.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Boxes 3-5, ranging from Box 3, Folder 9 to Box 5, Folder 15. The subseries contains records on the day-to-day operations of B'nai B'rith International and its many sub-organizations. Sub-organizations represented in this subseries are districts, including District Grand Lodge No. 3, District 5, and District 7; lodges, including, the South Mountain Lodge and Leo Baeck Lodge; B'nai B'rith Hillel, including the Syracuse University Hillel; sub-organizations, including the International Council of B'nai B'rith, the Center at Rochester, Grass Roots Action Network (GRAN), and Youth Organization; committees, including the Membership Cabinet, Committee for Legacy Development, Leadership Training and Development, Commission on Community Volunteer Services, International Committee on Senior Citizens' Housing, and the Joint Planning Committee; and cultural institutions, including the Klutznick Museum and B'nai B'rith Sports Hall of Fame. Information about these many sub-organizations includes reports, lists of committee members, correspondence, agendas, minutes, proposals, budgets, resolutions, appointments, member directories and speeches. Additionally, a folder concerning the Klutznick Museum's search for a director includes correspondence about potential candidates, as well as those candidates' résumés.

Additional information in this subseries is information on the founding and history of B'nai B'rith, programs from awards dinners, statistics on Jewish and B'nai B'rith populations and membership, a financial report, fundraising calendar, and correspondence about awarding grants.

Subseries 2: Campaign, undated, 1985-1986.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items from this subseries are located in Box 6, Folders 1-20. The subseries concerns Philip Lax's campaign for President of B'nai B'rith International in 1986. Eight of 20 folders in the series contain campaign speeches that Lax gave at the conventions of B'nai B'rith districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 22 in 1985 and 1986. Each of these speeches is unique. An additional folder contains an address to the B'nai B'rith Women. A separate folder includes campaign talking points, as well as public speaking pointers. A final folder includes questions from International Jewish Monthly about Lax's decision to run for president, along with his answers.

Folder 1 of the series contains a draft of Lax's campaign brochure; the final brochures can be found in Folder 16. Also included in the latter folder is the campaign publication of Lax's competitor, Seymour Reich.

Two folders deal with campaign meetings. These folders contain correspondence about the dates and locations of the meetings, agendas, a roster of attendees for the 1984 B'nai B'rith National Convention, information on the leadership and membership statistics of each B'nai B'rith district, and headshots of Philip Lax. There is additionally a folder with an invitation and list of invitees for a dinner Lax and his wife had after the election to thank his supporters.

Correspondence in this series is composed of requests for Lax to appear at district conventions, testimonials and letters of support before the election, and letters of consolation and support afterwards. Newspaper clippings concern the campaign and the candidates.

The election took place at the 1986 B'nai B'rith International Convention. Materials relating to the convention include a program, Summary of the Thirty-Third General Convention, roster of attendees, and Book of Reports.

Subseries 3: Correspondence, undated, 1959-1971, 1973, 1977-1993, 1996.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content:

Items in this series are located in Boxes 6-9, ranging from Box 6, Folder 21 to Box 9, Folder 6. The subseries contains both individual and general correspondence. Individual correspondence begins the subseries; these folders are arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name. General correspondence follows; these folders are arranged chronologically.

Individual correspondence in this subseries concerns B'nai B'rith meetings and conventions, committee appointments, award nominations and dinners, and Philip Lax's campaign for president of B'nai B'rith International. General correspondence concerns they daily operations of B'nai B'rith and its constituent organizations, including daily governance, meetings, appointments, fundraising membership, finances, awards, memorandums, budgets, resolutions, and some correspondence concerning infighting in and among the sub-organizations.

Subseries 4: Board of Governors, Executive Committee, District, Other Meetings, 1965, 1967-1970, 1973, 1979-1989, 1991, 1993.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content:

Items in this series are located in Boxes 10-12, ranging from Box 10, Folder 1 to Box 12, Folder 13. Folders in this series are arranged alphabetically by type of meeting, then chronologically, with each distinct meeting in its own individual folder. The types of meetings represented in this subseries include: Anti-Defamation League National Executive Committee Meeting, B'nai B'rith Administrative Committee Meeting, Board of Governors Leaders Conference, Board of Governors Meeting, Caucus of Jewish NGOs, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, B'nai B'rith Conventions, District 3 Conventions, District 20 Convention, Ethiopian Jewry Conference, Financial Management Committee Meeting, Meeting of the Fundraising Cabinet, Grass Roots Action Network (GRAN) Meetings, Hillel Meeting, International Council of B'nai B'rith (ICBB) Board of Governors Meeting, ICBB Executive Committee Meetings, ICBB Plenary Meetings, Meeting of the Latin American Section of ICBB, Supreme Lodge Board of Governors Conference, Youth Services Fund Raising Division Committee Meeting, and the Washington Meeting.

Materials pertaining to these committees include correspondence, programs, minutes, reports, budgets, agendas, speeches, resolutions, memorandums, rosters of attendees, notes, financial reports, constitution and by-laws, travel itineraries, proposals, lists of committee members, registration information, and press releases.

Subseries 5: Rutgers-Douglass Hillel Foundation, undated, 1962, 1965-1966, 1969-1971, 1974-1975, 1977-1978, 1980-1990, 1992-1993.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Boxes 12 and 13, ranging from Box 12, Folder 14 to Box 13, Folder 17. The subseries concerns the building of Rutgers-Douglass Hillel building and its upkeep, governance of the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel, and special events at the foundation.

General information in this subseries includes a B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations Accreditation Self-Study Questionnaire; an essay on B'nai B'rith's Hillel Commission; a list of the board of trustees; job descriptions of the Hillel director and associate director; a Zeta Beta Tau membership directory; minutes of the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel Building Corp.; a report on Hillel's activities in B'nai B'rith District 3; and a speech given by international director of Hillel Foundations Rabbi Oscar Groner entitled "Hillel's Unfinished Agenda." Published materials include newsletters and information on scheduled activities on-campus. General correspondence concerns whether an organization affiliated with a specific religion can build on the grounds of a state university, construction of the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel, Hillel's budget and finances, repairs to the building, retirement and hiring of rabbis, scheduling of committee meetings, and fundraising.

Financial information in the subseries includes fundraising brochures, records of receipts and disbursements, correspondence about and receipts for building maintenance, budgets and combined funds budget reports, and a report on the appraisal of the insurable replacement cost of the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel building.

There are materials pertaining to a wide variety of special events at the Hillel. There is a poster for a lecture entitled "Jewish Roots of Christianity;" an invitation to and speech given at the dedication of a flag pole in memory of Daniel Kessler; the program for a testimonial dinner in honor of Philip Lax; correspondence about and an invitation to the burning of the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel building mortgage; a report on the dedication of the Rutgers Hillel Foundation; invitations to the Rutgers University Hillel Annual Ball; and correspondence about a fundraising event held at Liberty State Park.

Photographs in this series show the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rutgers-Douglass Hillel Foundation building; construction of the building; and the interior and exterior of the building directly after its completion. People identified in these photographs include: Philip Lax, Isadore Horowitz, Arthur J. Sills, Benjamin Shachat, Steve Papadatos, Alan M. Shapiro, Sidney Piller, Morris Rohrberg, Irving Chvat, and Rabbi Norman Weitzner.

Subseries 6: Speeches, undated, 1963, 1967, 1979, 1981-1986, 1995.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Boxes 13 and 14, ranging from Box 13, Folder 18 to Box 14, Folder 33. Each individual speech is contained its own folder. A complete list of speeches can be found on page 24. The vast majority of the speeches were given by Philip Lax, but there are also speeches of B'nai B'rith president Gerald Kraft, Sam H. Hoffenberg, Sheldon Steinhauser, B'nai B'rith president Jack J. Spitzer, and Governor Thomas H. Kean. Of particular interest is the transcript of a discussion between B'nai B'rith president Jack J. Spitzer and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1979.

Almost all of the remaining speeches are explicitly identified as being given by Philip Lax, though a handful of the speeches are not.

Subseries 7: Publications, undated, 1966-1967, 1970-1971, 1973-1975, 1980-1986, 1988, 1991-1994, 2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this subseries are located in Boxes 14 and 15, ranging from Box 14, Folder 34 to Box 15, Folder 24. The subseries comprises individual copies of a wide variety of B'nai B'rith publications; the subseries does not contain runs of any one publication. Each publication is assigned its own folder. A list of the publications can be found on page 26.

Series III: Ellis Island Restoration Commission, undated, 1978-1979, 1988-1993, 1998-2003, 2005-2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

Items in this series are located in Boxes 15 and 16, ranging from Box 15, Folder 25 to Box 16, Folder 7. The series includes items pertaining to the Ellis Island Restoration Commission, of which Philip Lax has been president since 1978. Included in the boxes are copies of the interior and exterior layouts for the restored Ellis Island; a list of the members of the Ellis Island Restoration Commission; information about the computerized immigration and genealogical information available at the Ellis Island Family History Center; newspaper clippings about the progress of the restoration of Ellis Island; a booklet from a dinner to honor Francesco Cossiga, president of Italy, which was organized by the Ellis Island Restoration Commission; a copy of the Supreme Court case State of New Jersey v. State of New York, granting jurisdiction over Ellis Island to New Jersey; and a proposal for a monorail system at Liberty State Park.

The two most substantial folders in this series are General Correspondence and Bob Hope Memorial Library. The general correspondence mostly concerns the progress of Ellis Island's Family History Center. Of particular note are letters from President Ronald Reagan and Secretary of the Interior Donald Paul Hodel congratulating the Commission on their plans for the Center. Also included is some correspondence about the dinner honoring Francesco Cossiga and a letter about a Commission meeting, with minutes attached. The folder concerning the Bob Hope Memorial Library contains correspondence about the original idea of the creation of the Bob Hope Family Heritage Center and the eventual passage of a bill (H.R. 323, 109^th Congress) designating the Bob Hope Memorial Library at Ellis Island. Included are letters from Bob Hope and President Gerald Ford regarding the Family Heritage Center.

There are also two publications in this series: an issue of Historic Preservation, which includes an article on the restoration of Ellis Island, and Statue of Liberty: Heritage of America, a book about the history of the Statue of Liberty.

Series IV: Soviet Jewry, undated, 1966-1967, 1970, 1980-1984, 1986-1987.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content:

The items in this series are located in Boxes 16 and 17, ranging from Box 16, Folder 8 to Box 17, Folder 9. The series concerns efforts by American Jews to aid Jews in the Soviet Union during the 1980s. The bulk of the material in this series is related to the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ). This includes information pertaining to NCSJ Policy Conferences in 1981 and 1982, Executive Committee Meetings in 1982 and 1983, Leadership Assemblies in 1983 and 1984, and a Board of Governors Meeting in 1987. Materials for these meetings include correspondence about the date and location of the meetings, speeches given at the meetings, resolutions and declarations adopted, agendas, and minutes. There are also two folders concerning the Third International Conference on Soviet Jewry, originally scheduled for October 1982 and postponed until March 1983. They contain correspondence regarding the date and location of the conference, a list of incomes/expenditures for NCSJ, a report on the Second International Conference on Soviet Jewry, conference registration information, declarations adopted at the conference, the conference schedule, transcripts of speeches, and a statement of President Ronald Reagan to the conference. Lastly, there is a 1984 Statement to the Democratic National Committee and a 1987 NCSJ report entitled "Rescuing Soviet Jewry in Light of 'Glasnost:' A Mid-Year Survey."

There are also folders concerning individual refuseniks-Norman Z. Syrkin and Vladimir Feltsman-as well as a list of 28 prisoners of conscience along with their "crimes" and sentences.

Two folders deal with American politicians making trips to the Soviet Union. One contains a list of politicians that accompanied Representative Thomas Foley (D-WA) to the Soviet Union. The second contains a speech given by Congressman Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) to members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR at the Kremlin on the topic of human rights in the Soviet Union.

The limited amount of correspondence in this series deals with the plight of prisoners of conscience and refuseniks in the Soviet Union, letters concerning Philip Lax's nomination to the Executive Committee of NCSJ for 1982-1983 and 1983-1984, and a letter from Ronald Reagan received on the occasion of the inaugural event of the 98^th Congressional Class for Soviet Jewry.

Newspaper clippings in this series concern the plight of Jews in the Soviet Union. Press releases come from B'nai B'rith International and NCSJ. They relate to the general plight of Jews in the Soviet Union, emigration from the Soviet Union, arrests and releases of individual Soviet Jews, official policies of the Soviet Union, and highlights of NCSJ conferences. Memorandums come almost exclusively from the International Council of B'nai B'rith. They concern emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union, Soviet policy pertaining to Jews, the general plight of Soviet Jewry, proceedings of Senate Hearings on Soviet Anti-Semitism, resolutions adopted by B'nai B'rith, and Hillel Foundations projects relating to Soviet Jewry.

Publications in this series originate from a variety of Jewish organizations as well as individuals. Publications include: "Trapped in the Soviet Union: Jewish Prisoners of Conscience and Refuseniks" (Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith); Soviet Jewry Fact Sheet and "Bar/Bat Mitzvah Twinning" (NCSJ); "Soviet Discrimination against the Jew" (B'nai B'rith); "The Plight of the Jews in the Soviet Union" (David W. Weiss); "Will Soviet Jewry Survive?" (Elie Wiesel); "Soviet Jewry" in the Joint Program Plan for Jewish Community Relations, "Voices of Soviet Jewish Women," and "The Menorah of Concern: A Dramatic Reading for Soviet Jewry on the Chanukah Festival" (NJCRAC); Source Book on Soviet Jewry: An Annotated Bibliography (Sylvia Orenstein); and Soviet Jewish Affairs (Institute of Jewish Affairs).

Essays likewise originate from multiple Jewish institutions as well as unidentified sources. They include: "The Jews in the Soviet Union: A Dream of Yesterday, A Goal for Today" (Jerry Goodman, NCSJ); "Guide for Action on Soviet Jewry," "The Plight of Soviet Jewry," and "Keep the Gates Open" (B'nai B'rith); and "Soviet Jewish Scholars Face a New Threat" and "Soviet Jewry: Hostage to U.S.-U.S.S.R. Relationships" (unidentified).

Series V: Subject Files, undated, 1915, 1917, 1960, 1965-1968, 1972, 1976-1977, 1980-1987, 1990-1994, 1996-2000.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder name.

Scope and Content:

Items in this series are located in Boxes 17-19, ranging from Box 17, Folder 10 to Box 19, Folder 27. The series is comprised of subjected files created and maintained by Philip Lax covering individuals, countries, and organizations. The files are arranged alphabetically. A complete list of subject files can be found on page 30.

Series VI: Photographs, undated, 1944-1985.

Scope and Content:

This series comprises one folder, the last of Box 19. The photographs that are dated range in date from 1944 to 1985. All of the photographs in the series, except three, are black and white. While the majority of photographs are original, there are a small number of photocopies of original photographs.

The vast majority of photographs concern B'nai B'rith International, particularly the Hillel Foundation. There is a photograph of the celebration of Hillel's 30^th anniversary, with an accompanying newspaper clipping. Photographs also include multiple lectures given at different college campuses, including Mordecai Kaplan addressing the University of Michigan Hillel, David Ben-Gurion addressing the Hillel Foundation in Chicago in 1967, and Eleanor Roosevelt visiting the Hunter College Hillel in the 1960s. There are also several photographs of Eleanor Roosevelt, on a separate occasion, addressing a large audience. The photographs are stamped as belonging to B'nai B'rith, but it is unclear if this is a Hillel or other B'nai B'rith event. Mrs. Roosevelt is joined on the stage by a variety of religious and military personnel.

There are also a variety of photographs of dinners, speeches, and conventions of B'nai B'rith International. These include many group photographs, with those in the groups oftentimes unidentified. Most interesting are photographs of Golda Meir and David Ben-Gurion speaking at a B'nai B'rith International Convention in Tel Aviv. Photographs of Philip Lax visiting a kibbutz in Israel are also included.

Other photographs in the series include the 1963 Brandeis University Convocation, pictures of Philip Lax at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the cornerstone ceremony of the Penn State Interfaith Chapel, and Rabbis Kahn and Kaplan and Dr. Gottschalk placing a spray at President John F. Kennedy's grave.

The following people can be found in this photograph series: Philip Lax, Dr. and Mrs. Abram L. Sachar, Professor Edward Chauncey Baldwin, Isaac Kuhn, Golda Meir, Albert Z. Elkes, Harold Staenberg, Alan Silbergleit, Edward E. Grusd, Abraham Brenman, George Melnick, Milton Packer, David Ben-Gurion, Eleanor Roosevelt, Stephen S. Wise, William Earl Singer, Mordecai Kaplan, Mrs. Myron Goddard, Morris Sostrin, Maier Levin, Governor Christian Herter, Maurice Zigmond, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Milton Eisenhower, Philip W. Lown, Rabbi Abraham Heschel, Label A. Katz, Dr. William Haber, Louis Gottschalk, Mrs. Maurice (Rose) Turner, Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, Judge David Coleman, Philip Klutznick, Senator Howard Metzenbaum, Dr. William Korey, and Arthur Sills.

For headshots of Philip Lax, see Series II: B'nai B'rith International, Subseries 2: Campaign, Box 6, Folder 6.

For photographs of Rutgers-Douglass Hillel, see Series II: B'nai B'rith International, Subseries 5: Rutgers-Douglass Hillel Foundation, Box 13, Folder 4.

Oversized Material

Scope and Content:

The collection also contains three oversized items: a large printed poster of a drawing of David Ben-Gurion, a packet of information regarding the campaign to save Touro Synagogue, and a set of posters of Ellis Island, including pictures of Ellis Island and immigrants there in the early 1900s as well as schematics of the restoration of Ellis Island.