2025-09-03 8:56 PM <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #people #EarlyZionism # Leon Kamaiky (1864-1928) - Leon Kamaiky was an American Jewish immigrant from a rabbinical family in Lithuania. - Kamaiky settled in New York. - Through his family connections in New York, Kamaiky became a notable figure in Jewish/Yiddish press. - From 1889 he managed the *Jewish Daily News* (founded by his uncle). - He eventually became owner and publisher of the *Jewish Daily News*. - He was vice president of the *Jewish Morning Journal*. #### CRC and JDC - During WWI, Kamaiky formed the Central Relief Committee for the Relief of Jews Suffering Through the War, also called the Central Relief Committee (CRC) - The CRC was formed to aid the Jews of Europe and of the Jewish settlements in Palestine called the [[Yishuv]]. - The CRC was a product of the [[Orthodox Union]]. - #RedPill *Relief for Jews suffering through the war? Why not for the Russians? Kamaiky emigrated from the Russian Empire. Because Jews, regardless of nationality, share a loyalty and affinity for themselves as a Jewish collective.* - The CRC elected Kamaiky as its chairman. - [[Harry Fischel]] served as treasurer. - [[John L. Bernstein]] was a CRC official. - In 1914 the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]] was created when the CRC partnered with: - [[Felix Warburg]] and [[Jacob Schiff]] of the American Jewish Relief committee. - [[Meyer London]] of the People's Relief Committee. - Kamaiky became a top official in the JDC. #### Other Involvement in Organized Jewry - Kamaiky was a [[Religious Zionists of America (Mizrachi)]] director. - Kamaiky represented Mizrachi at the first [[American Jewish Congress]] convention in 1918. - Kamaiky through Mizrachi, backed [[Chaim Weizmann]] and [[Ze'ev Jabotinsky]]'s creation of [[Keren Hayesod]] in the US in 1921. - Kamaiky was a leader in the [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)]]. - Kamaiky was an [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]] member. - Through his positions in Jewish and Zionist groups, Kamaiky worked with the likes of [[Louis Brandeis]], [[Louis Marshall]], [[Stephen S. Wise]]. #### References - “Leon Kamaiky.” _Wikipedia_. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Kamaiky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Kamaiky?). - “Leon Kamaiky, Jewish Publisher and Communal Worker, Dies at Age of 64.” _Jewish Telegraphic Agency_, October 30, 1928. [https://www.jta.org/archive/leon-kamaiky-jewish-publisher-and-communal-worker-dies-at-age-of-64](https://www.jta.org/archive/leon-kamaiky-jewish-publisher-and-communal-worker-dies-at-age-of-64?). - _Records of the Central Relief Committee, Volume I_ (finding aid). Yeshiva University Archives. [https://archives.yu.edu/xtf/view?docId=ead%2Fcrc14%2Fcrc14.xml%3Bquery%3D%3Bbrand%3Ddefault](https://archives.yu.edu/xtf/view?docId=ead%2Fcrc14%2Fcrc14.xml;query=;brand=default&). - _Records of the Central Relief Committee, Volume II_ (finding aid). Yeshiva University Archives. [https://archives.yu.edu/xtf/view?docId=ead%2Fcrc19%2Fcrc19.xml%3Bquery%3D%3Bbrand%3Ddefault](https://archives.yu.edu/xtf/view?docId=ead%2Fcrc19%2Fcrc19.xml;query=;brand=default). - JDC Archives. “History Timeline.” [https://archives.jdc.org/timeline-interactive/history-timeline/](https://archives.jdc.org/timeline-interactive/history-timeline/). - JDC Archives. “Whence Shall Come Our Aid? JDC’s Early Fundraising Campaigns.” [https://archives.jdc.org/whence-shall-come-our-aid-jdcs-early-fundraising-campaigns/](https://archives.jdc.org/whence-shall-come-our-aid-jdcs-early-fundraising-campaigns/?). - American Jewish Archives, Abba Hillel Silver Collection. “Foreign Reconstruction… [letterhead listing Leon Kamaiky, Chairman]” (PDF). [https://collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms4787/ms4787.062.022.1469.pdf](https://collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms4787/ms4787.062.022.1469.pdf?). - _Nineteenth Annual Report of the American Jewish Committee, 1926–1927_ (PDF). _Berman Jewish Policy Archive_. [https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/1926/1926_1927%20AJCAnnualReport.pdf](https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/1926/1926_1927%20AJCAnnualReport.pdf?). - _Proceedings of the American Jewish Congress, Philadelphia, 1918_ (PDF). _Berman Jewish Policy Archive_. [https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/amer/AMERICAN%20JEWISH%20CONGRESS%20PROCEEDINGS%20PHILADELPHIA%20PA%201918.pdf](https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/amer/AMERICAN%20JEWISH%20CONGRESS%20PROCEEDINGS%20PHILADELPHIA%20PA%201918.pdf?). - “Kasriel Hirsch Sarasohn.” _Wikipedia_. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasriel_Hirsch_Sarasohn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasriel_Hirsch_Sarasohn?).