American Jewish Committee

=== 1900&ndash;1929 ===
On November 11, 1906, 81 [[American Jews|Jewish Americans]] met in the Hotel Savoy in New York City to establish the American Jewish Committee.<ref name="founded" /> The group was concerned about [[Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire|pogroms against Jews in the Russian Empire]]. The official committee statement on the purpose was to "prevent infringement of the civil and religious rights of Jews and to alleviate the consequences of persecution."<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|title=Jewish Committee Meets|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1907/11/11/104712077.pdf|access-date=16 November 2013|newspaper=The NYT}}</ref>

In its early years the organization was led by lawyer [[Louis Marshall]], banker [[Jacob H. Schiff]], Judge [[Mayer Sulzberger]], scholar [[Cyrus Adler]], and other well-to-do and politically connected Jews. Later leaders were Judge [[Joseph M. Proskauer]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Judge Joseph M. Proskauer Dies at 94|url=http://www.jta.org/1971/09/13/archive/judge-joseph-m-proskauer-dies-at-94|access-date=16 November 2013|newspaper=Jewish Telegraph Agency|date=September 13, 1971}}</ref> [[Jacob Blaustein]], and Irving M. Engel. In addition to the central office in New York City, local offices were established around the country.

Starting in 1912, [[Louis B. Marshall]] was president of the organization until 1929.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1922/11/13/archives/less-antisemitism-found-in-america-president-marshall-tells-america.html?sq=marshall%2520reports%2520on%2520anti-semitism%2C%2520american%2520jewish%2520committee&scp=2&st=cse|title=LESS ANTI-SEMITISM FOUND IN AMERICA; President Marshall Tells American Jewish Committee ThatAgitation is Waning.15,393,815 JEWS IN WORLDCommunist Policy Has Improved Their Condition in Russia-- Election of Officers|date=13 November 1922|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

In 1914, AJC helped create the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee]], established to aid Jewish victims of [[World War I]]. After the war, Marshall went to Europe and used his influence to have provisions guaranteeing the rights of minorities inserted into the peace treaties.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Litvac Glaser|first=Zhava|date=2015|title=Refugees And Relief: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee And European Jews In Cuba And Shanghai 1938-1943|url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1560&context=gc_etds|journal=City University of New York (CUNY) Academic Works|pages=11}}</ref>

While president, Marshall is credited with making the AJC a leading voice in the 1920s against immigration restriction. Additionally, he succeeded in stopping [[Henry Ford]] from publishing [[History of antisemitism in the United States#The Dearborn Independent|antisemitic literature]] and distributing it through his car dealerships and forced Ford to apologize publicly.<ref>{{cite journal
   |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/258746/pdf
   |title=Confronting Antisemitism in America: Louis Marshall and Henry Ford
   |author=Robert S. Rifkind  |journal=American Jewish History
 |year=2008|volume=94
 |issue=1–2
 |pages=71–90
 |doi=10.1353/ajh.0.0053
 |s2cid=161599751
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-resources/popular-topics/henry-ford-and-anti-semitism-a-complex-story
|quote=Ford agreed to release a formal apology, ... cash settlement
|title=Henry Ford and Anti-Semitism: A Complex Story}}</ref><ref>{{cite news  
   |publisher=JTA ([[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]])
   |url=https://www.jta.org/1927/07/10/archive/louis-marshall-accepts-henry-fords-apology-for-anti-jewish-attacks-replies-to-statement
   |title=Louis Marshall Accepts Henry Ford's Apology for Anti-jewish attacks
   |date=10 July 1927}}</ref>