Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. Minutes of Advisory Committee Meetings. Confidential

(HOLOCAUST)

New York

1949-51

Minutes of meetings September 19th, 1949 - December 10th, 1951

At the conclusion of World War Two, it was necessary to resolve the disposition of surviving artworks of decimated European Jewry. This spiritual legacy included antique Judaica, as well as myriads of rare books from Europe's ransacked Jewish libraries. Members of a committee of "Jewsih Cultural Reconstruction" included Edward Kiev, Louis Finkelstein, David de Sola Pool, who respectively represented the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox denominations of the American Jewish community. In general, it was decided that proportionately, each of the groups would become the new custodians of Europe's heirless Jewish material culture. Thus, in regard to "ceremonial objects which arrived in New York," we read: "The Committee agreed that the Jewish Museum in New York and the Jewish Museum in Cincinnati should have first call. It was recognized that Yeshiva University has a special claim and should follow immediately after these top priorities" (p. 1). The minutes of these sensitive deliberations detail the locations and descriptions of the various artifacts, of which a small portion was distributed to surviving Jewish communities of Europe, the majority was destined to institutions in Israel and especially the United Sates