This collection contains minutes (1960-1982, incomplete), financial records, membership records, annual reports, articles, programs, newsletters, press releases, clippings, correspondence, briefs and published material, and some photographs. One sound recording on a thin plastic disc is also included in the collection.

The American Jewish Congress (AJC) was founded in 1916, and reorganized in 1920 and 1938. The groundwork for the Northern California Division was laid in the 1930s by Rabbis Saul White of Beth Sholom and Elliot Burstein of Beth Israel when they organized a boycott of German goods. The Division was officially founded in December 1943. The AJC's mission shifted somewhat over the years but the core was the promotion of "Jewish rights and freedom" within the U.S. and the support of the "Jewish Homeland." The organization's Civil Rights stand broadened over the years from a concern for Jewish Rights (American Jewish Yearbook, 1922) to the "elimination of all forms of racial and religious bigotry" (American Jewish Yearbook, 1995) and was referred to by one member as a Jewish ACLU. One of the AJC's primary money making activities was the sponsoring of tours of Israel and Jewish themed tours to other cultural and religious sites around the world.

Publication Rights It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright or publishing authorization from The Western Jewish History Center.

Access Collection is open for research by appointment only every Monday-Thursday, except for those Jewish and Federal holidays when it is closed.