Joint Committee Against Communism
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Joint Committee Against Communism, also known as the Joint Committee Against Communism in New York, was an
anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
organization during the 1950s.


Origins

Benjamin Schultz of
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
, had studied under Rabbi Stephen S. Wise at the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. He was ordained as a rabbi in 1931 and served a Reform congregation, Temple Emanu-El in
Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
. From October 14 to 16, 1947, Schultz published a series of articles in the ''
New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...
'' on Communism among Protestant and Catholic churches and Jewish synagogues. He attacked the Reverend Dr.
Harry F. Ward Harry Frederick Ward Jr. (15 October 1873 – 9 December 1966) was an English-born American Methodist minister and political activist who identified himself with the movement for Christian socialism, best remembered as first national chairman of t ...
of
Union Theological Seminary Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (shortened to UTS or Union) is a Private college, private ecumenical liberal Christian seminary in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University since 1928. Presently, Co ...
,
Abraham Cronbach Abraham Cronbach (February 15, 1882 – April 2, 1965) was an American rabbi and teacher, known as a pacifist. He served as a rabbi for congregations in Indiana and Ohio. Cronbach was one of the founders of the Peace Heroes Memorial Societ ...
of
Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...
, and Stephen S. Wise by name. On March 15, 1948, Schultz announced in the ''New York Times'' the founding of the American Jewish League Against Communism, Inc. (AJLAC). AJLAC claimed to side with an "overwhelming majority of American Jewry" against Communism. It praised
David Dubinsky David Dubinsky (; born David Isaac Dobnievski; February 22, 1892 – September 17, 1982) was a Belarusian-born American labor leader and politician. He served as president of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) between 1932 a ...
,
Abraham Cahan Abraham "Abe" Cahan (Yiddish: אַבֿרהם קאַהאַן; July 7, 1860 – August 31, 1951) was a Lithuanian-born American socialist newspaper editor, novelist, and politician. Cahan was one of the founders of ''The Forward'' (), an American Y ...
,
Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and c ...
, and David Lawrence. Schultz declared, "Zionism and communism are incompatible." Headquartered at 220 West Forty-second Street, AJLAC sought to remove "all Communist activity in Jewish life, wherever it may be." AJLAC national organizing members included: * Benjamin Schultz (executive director) * Alfred Kohlberg (chairman), listed as "head of the board of directors of the American China Policy Association, Inc." * Harry Pasternak, retired realtor (treasurer) *
Benjamin Gitlow Benjamin Gitlow (December 22, 1891 – July 19, 1965) was a prominent American socialist politician of the early 20th century and a founding member of the Communist Party of the United States, Communist Party USA. At the end of the 1930s, Gitlow t ...
, former general secretary of the
Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
* George Sokolsky, nationally syndicated columnist * Eugene Lyons, nationally syndicated columnist * Isaac Don Levine, nationally syndicated columnist and editor of '' Plain Talk'' * Rabbi David S. Savitz * Rabbi Ascher M. Yager * Mrs. Harry Lang * Allen Lesser * Nathan D. Shapiro * Maurice Tishman * Mrs. Vivienne T. Wechter * Charles Kreindler, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, AFL * Louis Nelson, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, AFL (Pasternak had a seat on the
New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...
.)
Roy Cohn Roy Marcus Cohn ( ; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor. He first gained fame as a prosecutor of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in their trials (1952–53) and as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel duri ...
joined as a member of the board of directors. Anti-communist journalist Isaac Don Levine was also a co-founder. On May 31, 1948, Schultz testified in support of the Mundt-Nixon Bill. In July 1948, Sokolsky mentioned formation of an AJLAC office in Los Angeles. In early 1949, Schultz testified to the Brooklyn Board of Education against the Jewish Peoples Fraternal Order, a member of the Communist-controlled International Workers Order; a week later, the board followed his recommendation and banned the group from classrooms. In March 1949, he publicly opposed a Soviet delegation led by
Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...
from entering the United States. In July 1949, Schultz also attacked
Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
during the latter's hearings before the
House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 19 ...
.


Formation

In late January 1950, the committee formed in response to a call from George Craig, head of the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
, when 60 national organizations. The founders of the Joint Committee Against Communism were: * Rabbi Benjamin Schultz, executive director, American Jewish League Against Communism * Alfred Kohlberg, chairman, American Jewish League Against Communism * Theodore Kirkpatrick, managing editor, ''
Red Channels ''Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' was an anti-Communist document published in the United States at the start of the 1950s. Issued by the right-wing journal ''Counterattack'' on June 22, 1950, the pamphle ...
'' and founder, ''
Counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "Military exercise, war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objecti ...
'' Kohlberg, a prominent member of the
China Lobby In American politics, the China lobby (Chinese: 中國遊說團) consisted of advocacy groups calling for American support for the Republic of China during the period from the 1930s until US recognition of the People's Republic of China in 1979 ...
and publisher of '' Plain Talk'' magazine, bankrolled the committee. As of July 1949, Rabbi Schultz named AJLAC's executive board members as: "Gen. Julius Klein, a past national commander of the Jewish War Veterans; your own colleague, the Hon. Abraham J. Multer; Isaac Don Levine; Eugene Lyons; Alfred Kohlberg;
Morrie Ryskind Morris Ryskind (October 20, 1895 – August 24, 1985) was an American dramatist, lyricist and writer of theatrical productions and movies who became a conservative political activist later in life. Life and career Ryskind was born in Brooklyn, ...
, of Hollywood; Rabbi David S. Savitz; and Rabbi Ascher M. Yager, leading orthodox rabbis of New York." In 1948, Multer ran for office against ex-CIO general counsel
Lee Pressman Lee Pressman (July 1, 1906 – November 20, 1969) was a labor attorney and earlier a US government functionary, publicly alleged in 1948 to have been a spy for Soviet intelligence during the mid-1930s (as a member of the Ware Group), following h ...
. Multer used Pressman's communist association against him early on by claiming that he had received his "certificate of election" from the ''
Daily Worker The ''Daily Worker'' was a newspaper published in Chicago founded by communists, socialists, union members, and other activists. Publication began in 1924. It generally reflected the prevailing views of members of the Communist Party USA (CPU ...
'' (
CPUSA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
newspaper), thanks to its condemnation of him.) The Joint Committee Against Communism drew together a coalition of several New York State groups and sub-groups including the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...
, and
Catholic War Veterans Catholic War Veterans (officially called the Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America) is a national service organization of baptized Catholics that have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. Founded in ...
, and the Veterans Division of AJLAC. In 1954, board members of the committee's core group, AJLAC, included: Alfred Kohlberg (chair), Benjamin Schultz (executive director), Harry Pasternak (treasurer) as well as Bern Dibner, Lawrence Fertig, Theodore Fine,
Benjamin Gitlow Benjamin Gitlow (December 22, 1891 – July 19, 1965) was a prominent American socialist politician of the early 20th century and a founding member of the Communist Party of the United States, Communist Party USA. At the end of the 1930s, Gitlow t ...
, Walter R. Hart, Herman Kashins, Eugene Lyons, Norman L. Marks, Morris Ryskind, David S. Savitz, Nathan D. Shapiro, George E. Sokolsky, Maurice Tishman, and Ascher M. Yager.


Activities

In 1950, the Joint Committee Against Communism called on the New York Board of Education to ban the New York City
Teachers Union The New York City Teachers Union or "TU" (1916–1964) was the first New York labor union for teachers, formed as "AFT Local 5" of the American Federation of Teachers, which found itself hounded throughout its history due largely to co-membership ...
(TU), which since the 1930s come under the control of the
Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
. (Former TU vice president Dr.
Bella Dodd Bella Dodd (née Visono; 1904 – 29 April 1969 ) was a teacher, lawyer, and labor union activist, member of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) and New York City Teachers Union (TU) in the 1930s and 1940s ("one of Communi ...
would testify before Congress about Communist control of the TU later in the 1950s.) That same year, the committee helped keep actress
Jean Muir Jean Elizabeth Muir ( ; 17 July 1928 – 28 May 1995) was a British fashion designer. Early life and career Jean Muir was born in London, the daughter of Cyril Muir, a draper's floor superintendent, and his wife, Phyllis Coy. Her father was ...
banned from radio, soon after her name had appeared in ''Red Channels''. Also in that year, the committee scared
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
away from recording the song "Old Man Atom", written by Vern Partlow of the ''
Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California, after the unrelated ''Los Angeles Times'', and the flagship newspaper of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado ...
'' and finally recorded by Sam Hinton. (The song's lyrics included the lines, "
Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
's scared, and when Einstein's scared, I'm scared.") Partlow was a member of People's Songs, a left-wing publisher based in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and founded by folk-singer
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
. In 1951, Schultz attacked the reputation of Fleet Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; 24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, ...
and US Secretary of Defense General
George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. ...
. That same year, conservative journalist Westbrook Pegler wrote a supportive syndicated article called "Let Me Introduce Rabbi Benjamin Schultz." In 1952, the committee honored US Senator
Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age ...
with a dinner at the Astor Hotel. That same year, the committee named 18 college professors as "politically objectionable" and called for legislation against them; the committee declared that "it is up to the professors to prove their fitness to teach in the face of its accusations." In a speech in Lansing, Michigan, Schulz denounced both former First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
and
Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA views itself as supporting social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research, and supporting p ...
(ADA), a group she supported and which he called "an organizational extension of that lady's personality... more dangerous than Communism." By 1953, the committee's original members in AJLAC had become known among leading Jewish "anti-Reds" and included: Eugene Lyons, Isaac Don Levine, David Lawrence, George Sokolsky, Benjamin Mandel,
Barney Balaban Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive and innovator in the film industry who was president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964, and honorary chairman until his death. Life and career Barney Balaban w ...
, Rabbi Ben Schultz, Maurice Tishman, and Victor Riesel. In 1954, the committee honored
Roy Cohn Roy Marcus Cohn ( ; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor. He first gained fame as a prosecutor of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in their trials (1952–53) and as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel duri ...
with a dinner at the Astor Hotel; US Senator
Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age ...
was the principal speaker at the dinner. Also in 1954, Rabbi Schultz spoke before an American Legion gathering in Boston. In 1955, the committee honored Myers Lowman for exposing communist influence. AJLAC honored Ruth Shipley with an award for "a lifetime of service to the American people."


Legacy

In 1950, ''
TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine lumped the Joint Committee Against Communism and its founder Benjamin Schultz with the newsletter ''
Counterattack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "Military exercise, war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objecti ...
'' and its founder Theodore Kirkpatrick. It was the committee's 1952 attack on actress Jean Muir that first brought it to public attention.


Works

* ''Soviet Russia and Jews'' (undated pamphlet) (AJLAC)


See also

* Mundt-Nixon Bill * Alfred Kohlberg * '' Counterattack (newsletter)'' * ''
Red Channels ''Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' was an anti-Communist document published in the United States at the start of the 1950s. Issued by the right-wing journal ''Counterattack'' on June 22, 1950, the pamphle ...
: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' * '' Plain Talk'' *
Anti-communism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...


References


External links


Group Research Inc. records, 1955-1996
box 184 "Joint Committee Against Communism in New York"
Register of the Alfred Kohlberg papers
box 98 "Joint Committee Against Communism in New York"
Archive.org
American Jewish League Against Communism – Los Angeles 80-236 {{Authority control Organizations established in 1950 Political advocacy groups in the United States Conservative organizations in the United States 1950 establishments in the United States United States political action committees Anti-communist organizations in the United States Jewish anti-communism Zionist organizations in the United States Defunct Jewish organizations based in the United States