2026-04-18 06:34:PM <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #people ![[image-275.png|275]] # Israel Edwin Goldwasser (1878-1974) - I. Edwin Goldwasser was an American Jewish communal leader in the early 20th century. #### Activity - Goldwasser was born in New York City. - He became a school teacher in 1897, then principle, then superintendent of New York public schools from 1914-1917.[^1] - In 1917, Goldwasser became the founding executive director of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies of New York (FSJPS), a precursor to the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, which is a precursor to the [[UJA-Federation of New York]].[^2] - Goldwasser was executive director from 1917-1920, and a trustee after that. - The Federation was founded with Goldwasser as director and [[Felix Warburg]] as president. - In 1934, as a trustee of the FSJPS, Goldwasser took part in a Jewish communal initiative set in motion by New York governor [[Herbert Lehman]].[^5] - The initiative focused on fundraising for Jews in Germany under Nazi rule via the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] and the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]]. *Goldwasser, Governor Lehman, and the majority of American Jewish business and communal leaders of the era, were of German-Jewish descent.* - The initiative's leaders alongside Goldwasser included [[Felix Warburg]], [[Paul Baerwald]], [[Louis Lipsky]], [[Jonah Wise]], and [[Nathan Straus Jr.]] - Goldwasser is noted as a founder of the [[JCC Association of North America]] in 1913 alongside figures including [[Louis Marshall]], [[Jacob Schiff]], [[Felix Warburg]], [[Harry Fischel]], [[Judah Magnes]].[^3] - Goldwasser is listed as a vice-chairman, member of the European executive council, and treasurer of the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] in a 1948 letter.[^4] - The letter was addressed to New York governor [[Herbert Lehman]] from [[Edward M.M Warburg]], chairman of the JDC. - Alongside Goldwasser, JDC leaders listed in the letterhead include: - [[Edward M.M Warburg]] - Chairman - [[Paul Baerwald]] - Honorary chairman and treasurer - Mrs. [[Felix Warburg]] - Honorary Chairman *Mrs. Felix Warburg was Frieda Schiff, wife of the late Felix Warburg and daughter of the most prominent American Jewish banker ever, [[Jacob Schiff]].* - [[Herbert Lehman]] - Vice-chairman - [[William Rosenwald]] - Vice-chairman - [[Jonah Wise]] - Vice-chairman - In 1949, Goldwasser became the founding treasurer of the [[New York Association for New Americans (NYANA)]].[^7] - Goldwasser served as NYANA treasurer for 23 years until 1972 when he became NYANA's first and only honorary treasurer. - NYANA was formed as an affiliate of the United Service for New Americans (USNA).[^8] - The USNA was later merged with the migration departments of the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)|JDC]] and [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)]] to create the United HIAS Service. - In 1953, Goldwasser, as treasurer of the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)|UJA]], and a "leading figure" in the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)|JDC]] and the [[Israel Bonds]] drive, was invited by the Israeli government to explore investment opportunities in Israel.[^6] - Goldwasser spoke on his invitation by the Israeli government: "[The invitation is] not only a great compliment but as a call to probably the most important duty that can be laid upon any Jew at possibly the most important stage in the economic development of the State of Israel." *According to Goldwasser himself, inherent to Jewishness is the duty to help Israel, the Jewish state. In other words, dual loyalty is inherent to Jews.* - Goldwasser soon formed Israel Investment Co. to facilitate American funding for Israeli industry.[^9] - [[Samuel Rothberg]], [[Rudolf Sonneborn]], Charles Rosenbloom and Julian B. Venezky are noted as officers of Israel Investment Co. - Rothberg and Rosenbloom were very close associates of Sonneborn who ran the [[Sonneborn Institute]]. - Rosenbloom is noted as a key member of the Sonneborn institute, a network of wealthy Jewish Americans in the late 1940s assembled by [[David Ben-Gurion]] to covertly fund and arm the nascent state of Israel.[^10] #### References [^1]: “Goldwasser, Israel Edwin,” in Encyclopedia Judaica, [https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/goldwasser-israel-edwin](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/goldwasser-israel-edwin). [^2]: American Jewish Historical Society, “United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York Collection I-433 Timeline,” [https://ajhs.org/holdings/united-jewish-appeal-federation-of-new-york-collection-i-433-timeline/#:~:text=Dr.%20I.%20Edwin-,Goldwasser,-begins%20tenure%20as](https://ajhs.org/holdings/united-jewish-appeal-federation-of-new-york-collection-i-433-timeline/#:~:text=Dr.%20I.%20Edwin-,Goldwasser,-begins%20tenure%20as). [^3]: The American Jewish Times Outlook Volume XIV, “Full Text of ‘The American Jewish Times Outlook,’” *Internet Archive*, September 1948, [https://archive.org/stream/americanjewishti10unse/americanjewishti10unse_djvu.txt#:~:text=I.%20%20Edwin%20%20Goldwasser](https://archive.org/stream/americanjewishti10unse/americanjewishti10unse_djvu.txt#:~:text=I.%20%20Edwin%20%20Goldwasser) [^4]: Columbia University Libraries, “JDC Letter to Governor Lehman,” [https://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/rbml/lehman/pdfs/0936/ldpd_leh_0936_0084.pdf](https://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/rbml/lehman/pdfs/0936/ldpd_leh_0936_0084.pdf). [^5]: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Lehman Demands American Jews Aid Reich Victims,” April 30, 1934, [https://www.jta.org/archive/lehman-demands-american-jews-aid-reich-victims](https://www.jta.org/archive/lehman-demands-american-jews-aid-reich-victims). [^6]: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Goldwasser to Explore Investment Program in Israel,” January 2, 1953, [https://www.jta.org/archive/goldwasser-to-explore-investment-program-in-israel](https://www.jta.org/archive/goldwasser-to-explore-investment-program-in-israel). [^7]: Joshua M. Friedland, “The Founding of NYANA: An Historical Overview,” September 1998, *Internet Archive*, 59.[https://archive.org/details/policyarchive_file_16300](https://archive.org/details/policyarchive_file_16300). [^8]: “United Service for New Americans,” Wikipedia, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_for_New_Americans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_for_New_Americans). [^9]: The New York Times, “Israel Investors Formed; $10,000,000 Capital Sought for Promotion in U.S.,” March 30, 1953, [https://www.nytimes.com/1953/03/30/archives/israel-investors-formed-10000000-capital-sought-for-promotion-in.html](https://www.nytimes.com/1953/03/30/archives/israel-investors-formed-10000000-capital-sought-for-promotion-in.html). [^10]: The New York Times, “Charles Rosenbloom, 74, Dead; Played a Role in Birth of Israel,” April 2, 1973, [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/02/archives/charles-rosenbloom-74-dead-played-a-role-in-birth-of-israel.html](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/02/archives/charles-rosenbloom-74-dead-played-a-role-in-birth-of-israel.html).