American Jewish Committee - Office of Jewish War Records, 1918-1921 (I-9)
In 1918, the American Jewish Committee established its Office of Jewish War Records in order to document Jewish participation in the U.S. armed forces in World War I. To that end, the Office of Jewish War Records sent out 16,000 detailed questionnaires to servicemen they believed to be Jewish. This collection contains those completed questionnaires, sometimes accompanied by supporting documentation, such as letters, photos, diaries, and news clippings. The collection also contains lists of Jewish servicemen who were killed or received military honors in World War I. The Center for Jewish History offers a searchable database of names within these questionnaires and lists.
Phi Epsilon Pi records, 1912-1969 (I-76)
Established in New York City in 1904, the Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity eventually opened at least 48 chapters on college campuses across the U.S. and one in Canada. Throughout the fraternity’s history, its membership was predominantly Jewish. During and immediately after World War I, it kept track of members in the service through correspondence and War Service Record forms. This collection contains those letters and forms, which include detailed information on the member’s activities during the War and photographs.
American Jewish Committee - Office of Jewish War Records; I-9.
Courtesy of the American Jewish Historical Society
American Jewish Relief Committee for Sufferers from the War records, 1914-1917 (I-83)
Founded in 1914, the American Jewish Relief Committee, in conjunction with a number of other American Jewish organizations and newspapers, aided Jews who were trying to flee Europe in locating their relatives in America. The Committee’s records primarily consist of requests for aid from relatives of Americans in Russia and German-occupied Europe obtained through the Jewish Colonization Association office in Petrograd and the Hilfsverein der Deutschen Juden in Germany.