The University Library at California State University, Northridge has completed the processing and cataloging of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation Community Relations Committee (CRC) Archives, spanning from 1921 to 2000, providing researchers and the public access to one of the most comprehensive archives documenting the Jewish community’s role in combating antisemitism, fascism and discrimination in Southern California and beyond.
“The CRC Archives offer a powerful lens into how one community mobilized against hate, defended democratic ideals, and built lasting coalitions,” said Emy Decker, dean of the CSUN University Library. “We are thrilled to make the full archive available to researchers, educators, and the public.”
Founded in response to rising antisemitism in the 1920s and 1930s, the CRC brought together leaders from across the Jewish community to fight prejudice and promote intergroup cooperation. The collection captures the CRC’s decades of advocacy and activism, including partnerships with non-Jewish organizations and efforts to influence public policy, protect civil rights and educate the broader community.
Topics in the now fully processed collection, which includes five parts, cover the surveillance of fascist and antisemitic organizations; refugee resettlement; religion in public schools; civil rights and housing discrimination; race relations and fair employment practices.
The archives have been widely used by national and international scholars for research and cited in acclaimed books such as “Hitler in Los Angeles” by Steven J. Ross and “Hollywood’s Spies” by Laura B. Rosenzweig
The library plans to continue digitizing selected materials to further expand access to this historical resource. Finding aids for all five parts are available on the Library’s Special Collections and Archives website.
“We’re so pleased to open the full CRC collection to the public, researchers, and CSUN students,” said Ellen Jarosz, head of Special Collections & Archives. “These archives provide a direct and critical connection to the experiences of individuals and communities that can help all of us better understand our shared present.”
This archive was made possible by Jewish Collections fund, including Joy Picus, Mark Lainer, Steve Sass, Mel Levine, Abby Sher, Steven Windmueller, Sandy Klasky, the late Alan Sieroty and many others.
I am most excited and pleased that the CSUN Library has successfully curated these materials. Having explored these documents, they represent a rich history focusing both on the LA Jewish community and on the state of California public affairs, covering much of the 20th Century. These archives will prove valuable to historians, educators and future community activists in being able to extract the story of the CRC and its contributions to the Jewish and civic communities of Los Angeles.