New Jewish Agenda Records
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
New Jewish Agenda (1980-1992), was a progressive multi-issue organization whose members included secular and observant Jews drawn from many sectors of the Left. NJA had some forty-five local chapters and five task forces: Middle East, Economic and Social Justice, Nuclear Disarmament, Central America, and the Feminism (later to include AIDS) task force. NJA also sought to develop a progressive Jewish cultural and religious ethos, reflected in its creation of The Shalom Seders: Three Haggadahs (1984). The process-oriented, "participatory democracy" political culture of NJA complicated its efforts to deal with its infiltration, circa 1987, by the New Alliance Party, whose views were antithetical to those of NJA. The organization also faced hostility from mainstream organized Jewry for its critical view of Israeli foreign policy, ongoing financial difficulties, and the erosion of some of its membership to other, usually single-issue progressive Jewish organizations, and eventually disbanded in 1992. The collection contains national administrative records, including convention, national council and steering council records, including minutes, correspondence, internal bulletins, reports, mailings, membership lists, press releases, some officers' records (for example, those of Rena Bernards and Anna Jaffe); fundraising, task force and chapter records (including extensive files on the Portland, OR chapter), issues of its national newsletters, Agenda, Agenda-in-Brief and Gesher (published by the Feminist Task Force), photographs, audio sound recording and printed ephemera produced by NJA and other progressive (especially Jewish) organizations.
Historical Note
New Jewish Agenda (1980-1992), aka "Agenda," identified itself as "a Jewish voice among progressives and a progressive voice among Jews." NJA was a multi-issue organization that included secular and observant Jews, Jews from the organized Left (principally the New Left of the 1960s-1970s), and politically unaffiliated Jews; it was organized into some forty-five local chapters. The political concerns of NJA were reflected in the names of the task forces through which the bulk of its activity was conducted: the Middle East Task Force (advocating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and opposing settlements in the occupied territories), the Economic and Social Justice Task Force, the Nuclear Disarmament Task Force, the Central America Task Force (in particular opposing U.S. policy in El Salvador and Nicaragua), and the Feminism (later to include AIDS) Task Force, which reflected the strong presence of women and homosexuals in Agenda. NJA also sought to develop a progressive Jewish cultural and religious ethos, reflected in its creation of The Shalom Seders: Three Haggadahs (1984), and also devoted some attention to the issues of Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian Jews. The process-oriented, "participatory democracy" political culture of NJA complicated its efforts to deal with its infiltration, circa 1987, by the New Alliance Party, a political cult whose views were antithetical to those of NJA. The organization also faced hostility from mainstream organized Jewry for its critical view of Israeli foreign policy, ongoing financial difficulties, and the erosion of some of its membership to other, usually single-issue progressive Jewish organizations, and eventually disbanded in 1992.
New Jewish Agenda (1980-1992), aka "Agenda," identified itself as "a Jewish voice among progressives and a progressive voice among Jews." NJA was a multi-issue organization that included secular and observant Jews, Jews from the organized Left (principally the New Left of the 1960s-1970s), and politically unaffiliated Jews; it was organized into some forty-five local chapters. The political concerns of NJA were reflected in the names of the task forces through which the bulk of its activity was conducted: the Middle East Task Force (advocating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and opposing settlements in the occupied territories), the Economic and Social Justice Task Force, the Nuclear Disarmament Task Force, the Central America Task Force (in particular opposing U.S. policy in El Salvador and Nicaragua), and the Feminism (later to include AIDS) Task Force, which reflected the strong presence of women and homosexuals in Agenda. NJA also sought to develop a progressive Jewish cultural and religious ethos, reflected in its creation of The Shalom Seders: Three Haggadahs (1984), and also devoted some attention to the issues of Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian Jews. The process-oriented, "participatory democracy" political culture of NJA complicated its efforts to deal with its infiltration, circa 1987, by the New Alliance Party, a political cult whose views were antithetical to those of NJA. The organization also faced hostility from mainstream organized Jewry for its critical view of Israeli foreign policy, ongoing financial difficulties, and the erosion of some of its membership to other, usually single-issue progressive Jewish organizations, and eventually disbanded in 1992.
Sources
- Block, Ethan D. "One Voice Less for the Jewish Left: New Jewish Agenda, 1981-1993."http://www.newjewishagenda.net/PDFs/onelessvoice.pdf)
- Nepon, Emily. "New Jewish Agenda: The History of an Organization, 1980-1992." Senior thesis, Goddard College, 2006, and related material (http://www.newjewishagenda.net/).
- "New Jewish Agenda." Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jewish_Agenda). (March 2009)
Arrangement
The collection is organized into six series:
Missing Title
- Records
- Portland, Oregon Chapter Records
- Linda Eber Materials
- Tom Rawson Files
- Photographs
- Ithaca, New York Chapter Records
Materials in Series I-IV, and VI are arranged in the order in which they were received.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains national administrative records, including convention, national council and steering council records, including minutes, correspondence, internal bulletins, reports, mailings, membership lists, press releases, some officer's records ( including those of Rena Bernards and Anna Jaffe); fundraising, task force and chapter records (including extensive files on the Portland, OR and Ithaca, NY chapters), issues of its national periodicals Agenda, Agenda-in-Brief, Internal Discussion Bulletin, Internal Discussion Bulletin on Anti-Semitism, and Gesher (published by the Feminist Task Force), printed ephemera produced by NJA and other progressive (especially Jewish) organizations, photographs, one audio sound recording, cassette, one box of files of Linda Eber (NJA National Program Coordinator, 1988-1992), and two boxes of Tom Rawson Files (Boston Chapter, miscellaneous national NJA files).
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (and related rights to publicity and privacy) to materials in this collection created by the New Jewish Agenda was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; New Jewish Agenda Records; TAM 183; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by the New Jewish Agenda in 1996; additional materials were donated by the organization between 2003 and 2013 and from Christine Balka in 2003, Sandy Polishuk and Harry Stein in 2006, Tom Rawson in 2011, Michael Oren in 2013 and Amy Svirsky in 2018. The accession numbers associated with these donations are 2003.029, 2003.030 2011.001, 2011.069, 2013.034 and 2019.025.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Researchers interested in using audiovisual materials in this collection (films, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, et cetera) must use a digitized copy, which we refer to as an access copy. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that already have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room; materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. These requests are free of charge and can be made in anticipation of your visit. The process typically takes four to six weeks. To request an access copy be made, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A librarian will respond to you with further information.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Materials from the 2013 accession were incorporated into Series I, Box 7. Photographs were separated from this collection during initial processing and were established as a separate collection, the New Jewish Agenda Photographs (PHOTOS 145). In 2013, the photograph collection was reincorporated into the New Jewish Agenda Records. Materials from the 2019 accession were added as a new series, Series VI.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I: Records
Arrangement
Box "TITLES" in quotation marks are from the trans-files in which the records were originally housed.
National Committee and Steering Committee minutes, meetings and mailings, 1980s, 1980s, inclusive
National Committee and Steering Committee minutes, meetings and mailings, beginning 1987, 1987-circa 1991, inclusive
National Committee and Steering Committee minutes, meetings and mailings, 1987-89; three folders from 1982, 1982, 1987-1989, inclusive
"NJA 1987-90": Conventions, membership survey 1990; New Alliance Party; other administrative, activities, and topical files., undated, 1987-1990, inclusive
"NJA 1987-90" - National Committee and Steering Committee minutes, strategic direction meetings; Chapter Files, Providence, RI - Z, and Canada, 1987-1990, inclusive
Miscellaneous: much loose material, and unlabelled files, undated, 1980s, inclusive
"File cabinet drawers 1-2, 1981-82": Council meetings, correspondence, membership development, "Conference" [possibly] founding conference; topical files, 1981-1982, inclusive
"File cabinet drawers 1-2, 1981-82" conclusion: includes Steering Committee 1982-83; Internal Discussion Bulletin on Anti-Semitism, "Awareness and Action, A Resource Book on Anti-Semitism," "NJA 1985-86" [11"]: mailings, workshops, funding proposals, 1985 convention, 1981-circa 1986, inclusive
"NJA 1985-86" conclusion [11"]: National Committee correspondence, fundraising, task forces [Middle East, economic justice], 1985 convention; "Staff files, pre 1991": foundations [mostly reference material, forms, and some correspondence], contributions, thank you letters, 1985-circa 1990, inclusive
"Pre 1991 staff files": foundations [mostly reference material, forms, and some correspondence], contributions, thank you letters, circa 1982-1990, inclusive
"Pre 1991 staff files" [9"] - foundations, chapter handbook; "NJA 1980" [6"] - topical and administrative files [1980s], 1980s, inclusive
"NJA 1980": Founding convention, December, 1980; Early newsletters; "Annette Jaffe's files" [11"]: Steering Committee, Task Forces, packets for events, undated, 1980, inclusive
Financial; Serials [Newsletter, Agenda, Agenda-in-Brief] Conference and convention bulletins and brochures, including some draft versions and associated reference material, 1980, inclusive
Serials, conclusion; "NJA 1983-84": begins with "Direct mail proposal" folder, also includes elections, financial, G2 merger, fundraising, 1980, inclusive
"NJA 1983-84 conclusion"; Middle East Task Force, Central America; General correspondence, National Committee, Development, Fat file of chapter flyers, newsletters, etc., 1989, 1980s, inclusive
Miscellaneous staff files, 1989-90 [11"]; National Committee meetings, mailings, minutes; National convention; New Alliance Party, undated, 1989-1990, inclusive
Miscellaneous office files, including chapter activity handbook, Shalom Seders, Bay Area Arbitration, 1984 [Bay Area Chapter charter revoked for advocating aid cutoff to Israel, while national NJA policy was neutrality on this issue], undated, 1980s, inclusive
Miscellaneous office files; "Miscellaneous staff files, 1980s": including the Advisory Board, 1988 report, "General Support Proposal," 1989; Middle East Task Force, Thank you letters, A-K; Large donors, undated, 1980s, inclusive
Thank you letters, L-Z, General Support Proposal, other files [11"]; Middle East files, including 1983 Israel tour, undated, 1980s, inclusive
Membership, circa 1988, by Chapter, circa 1988, inclusive
Middle East files: tours, 1986-87, settlement freeze, 1987 World Zionist Congress, Americans for a Progressive Israel; Middle East Task Force, 1980s, inclusive
Middle East Task Force: mailings, press releases, Internal Discussion Bulletin, 1987-90; Some 1991 documents, 1980s-1991, inclusive
Middle East: Gulf War 1991; Middle East Task Force 1982 - 1989, 1982-1991, inclusive
Middle East / Middle East Task Force, circa 1983-88, including Middle East Task Force internal documents, 1983-84; Shalom network, circa 1983-1988, inclusive
Chapter files - Akron – L, undated, 1980s, inclusive
Chapter files [9"]: M - Portland, OR; Holiday services by NJA and others, undated, 1980s, inclusive
Press Clips [mentioning NJA], 1980s-circa 1991, inclusive
Central America Task Force, undated, 1980s, inclusive
Central America Task Force [10"]: correspondence, Nicaragua, sanctuary; Steering Committee; "NJA History" [begins with "Lease" file]; Miscellaneous administrative, activities, and topical files, circa 1984-88, undated, 1980s, inclusive
"NJA History" [10"]: "E" alphabetical file, including NJA elections, Economic justice, El Salvador; Miscellaneous 1985 files; "Rena Bernards' files," [begins with "negative mail" folder, and includes "Platform," 1982], undated, 1980s, inclusive
"Miscellaneous 1985 [Rena] Bernards' files": alphabetical by keyword, M – Z: contains administrative, activities, and topical files, including National Committee, Nairobi, nuclear weapons, and volunteers, 1985, inclusive
Middle East, A - N [roughly alphabetical by keyword]: administrative, activities, and topical files, Undated, 1980s-circa 1992, inclusive
Middle East [8"] N - Z [alphabetical by keyword]; Disarmament / Soviet Jewry / Economic and Social Justice Task Force, [most material is ESJTF and Disarmament, little on Soviet Jewry], undated, 1980s-circa 1992, inclusive
"Disarmament /Soviet Jewry / Economic and Social Justice Task Force," conclusion [11"]: mostly peace activity, ESJTF; Gesher [Feminist task force newsletter of NJA], Jewish Socialist, undated, 1980s-circa 1991, inclusive
Jewish Organizations, mostly progressive: printed ephemera and/or correspondence with NJA [box is half full], circa 1980-1982, inclusive
Middle East activities and Task Force, Internal Discussion Bulletin, 1982-1990, inclusive
Series II: Portland, Oregon Chapter Records.
Portland Chapter: about half of box consists of envelopes addressed to Harry Stein; the box contains a "NJA History" envelope, chapter and national newsletters (Agenda), ephemera, including from other progressive organizations, and some correspondence, circa 1982-1990, inclusive
Portland Chapter: about half of box consists of envelopes addressed to Harry Stein; the box contains chapter and national newsletters (Agenda), ephemera, including from other progressive organizations, and some correspondence, circa 1982-1990, inclusive
Series III: Linda Eber Files, circa 1988-1991, inclusive
Linda Eber Files, circa 1988-1991, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
Contents description provided by Linda Eber (NJA National Program Coordinator, 1988-1992) follows:
Carrying It On: National Conference Organizing Against Anti-Semitism and Racism (November 8-10, 1991, Philadelphia):
Proceedings; Xerozes of speeches; Transcripts of taped speeches; Organizing papers including letters to panelists, workshop leaders permission forms, confirmation agreements (including Julian Bond and Grace Paley), panelist biographies; Various organizing papers, training packet; Conference booklet. Awareness and Action: A Resource Book on Anti-Semitism, 1991
New Jewish Agenda (NJA) Chapter Handbook
Draft Manual for Organizing National Conferences
Resolutions and Notes, Platform
Notebook with various task force organizing notes (1988)
Jewish Womens' Committee To End The Occupation file (JWCEO)
Central America Task Force Packet, 4/1989
Discussion Bulletin on Zionism, 1986)
Misc. organizing papers, pamphlets, bulletins, correspondence and notes
Audio and Videocassettes, 1991, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
"Carrying It On" NJA conference, audiocassettes, 1991; Ron Young, speech, videoccassette.
Series IV: Tom Rawson Files, circa 1980-1992, inclusive
Boston New Jewish Agenda Chapter Records plus Miscellaneous National NJA Records (Includes Middle East Task Force), circa 1980-1992, inclusive
National New Jewish Agenda Records, Miscellaneous, circa 1980-1992, inclusive
Series V: Photographs, circa 1982-1989, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
This series includes 241 black and white photographs, 52 color photographs, 6 photocopies, 43 contact sheets, 3 strips of 110 film, a 2 1/4" negative, about 41 rolls of 35mm negatives, 5 4x5 negatives, a copy of the minutes from a meeting of the Steering Committee, an invitation to "The Arab and the Israeli," hate mail, and 15 graphics for an unspecified publication.
Processing Information
Many of the negatives have either matching prints or contact sheets. Those prints or contact sheets and the negatives that matched them have been separated, but placed in folders that have labels that state that they have either prints/contacts or negatives which match.
1 black and white photograph, 1 color photograph, 1982, inclusive
Kadima Seder: 1 black and white photograph, 1 color photograph, 1984, inclusive
NJA Seder: 3 color photographs, 1984, inclusive
Sukkat Shalom: 11 black and white photographs, 4 color photographs, 1984, inclusive
14 black and white photographs, 1985, inclusive
7 black and white photographs, 1987, inclusive
Palestine National Council, Algiers: 5 lack and white photographs, 2 color photographs, Apr 1987, inclusive
Tree Planting: 3 black and white photographs, 1987, inclusive
2 black and white photographs, 1988, inclusive
NJA Steering Committee goes to Ratner's: 21 black and white photographs, 1988, inclusive
3 black and white photographs, 1989, inclusive
Convention: 1 black and white photograph, 1989, inclusive
Convention Contacts, 1989, inclusive
Clippings, undated
Concert: 5 black and white photographs, undated
Contact Sheets, undated
Day care: 2 black and white photographs, undated
Demonstrations/Protests: 14 black and white photographs, 13 color photographs, undated
Irene Fertik, Photographer: Contact Sheet with Matching Negatives, undated
Irene Fertik, Photographer: Prints: 9 black and white photographs, undated
Irene Fertik, Photographer: Prints with Matching Negatives: 8 black and white photograhs, undated
Ilene Umen: Contacts with Matching Negatives, undated
Mobilization for Survival "Peace Presence" last Tisha B'av/Hiroshima Day at the Federal Building in Milwaukee: 1 black and white photograph, undated
Party: 4 color photographs, undated
Passport Photograph: 6 black and white photographs, undated
Paul Faer Photographs: 8 black and white photographs, undated
Photographs mounted on board: 12 black and white photographs, undated
Portraits: 23 black and white photographs, undated
Color prints with matching 110 negatives: 16 color photographs, undated
Prints with matching 35mm negatives: 12 black and white photographs, undated
Prints with matching 4x5 negatives: 2 black and white photographs, undated
Shabat: 1 black and white photograph, undated
Speakers: 7 black and white photographs, undated
Miscellaneous: 26 black and white photographs, 6 color photographs, undated
Miscellaneous other than photographs, undated
Unspecified Events: 29 black and white photographs, 2 color photographs, undated
NJA Steering Committee goes to Ratner's: 35mm negatives, 1988, inclusive
Convention: 35mm negatives, 1989, inclusive
110 negatives with matching prints, undated
35mm negatives with matching prints, undated
4x5 negatives with matching prints, undated
Charles Feinberg: 35mm negatives, undated
Ilene Umen Negatives with matching contacts: 35mm negatives, undated
Irene Fertik, Photographer: negatives with matching contacts and some matching prints, 35mm negatives, undated
Leningrad Synagogue: 4x5 negatives, undated
Unlabeled: negatives, undated
Series VI: Ithaca, New York Chapter Records, circa 1980-1992, inclusive
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
This box contains correspondence, newsletters, meeting minutes, related newsclippings and publications and one sound recording audio cassette.
Arrangement
Original folder titles were maintained when given, and loose materials were assigned titles by the archivist. Pamphlets and documents that arrived loose in boxes or stored in overstuffed folders were rehoused into archival folders. Folder "TITLES" in quotation marks are from the trans-files in which the records were originally housed.
