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COMFIDEMTIAL
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. MEETING ON CULTURAL RECONSTRUCTION CORPORATION
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ON MAY 22V 1947 a t - t h e - JDC OFFICE.
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.Present:..
Salo W. Baron -" Commission oh European Jewish Cultural Recons
Jerome Michael "
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. Henrietta K,. Buchman r JDC
Boris M. Joffe ' - - ' « •
. Edward Phillips
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. * Nathan Reich
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Louis H. Sobel
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Professors Baron and Michael made reference to previous correspondence and discussions, with the JDC during 1946 concerning the efforts and plans of the Com- mission on European Jewish Cultural Reconstruction to establish a Cultural-Reconstruction Corporation which would be concerned with the-location, identification and restoration of Jewish religious objects in Europe, the trusteeship by
the corporation of such heirless objects and their distribution among existing
Jewish religious and cultural institutions throughout the world. They stated
that the incorporation of their Commission has been completed as of May 15, 1947
with- seven members, including the American Jewish Conference,
American Jewish
Committee, The World Jewish Congress, Synagogue Council of America, Hebrew University, and the Commission on European Jewish Cultural Reconstruction. Several
other overseas organizations such as the British Board of Deputies are contemplating affiliation. They reported that assurances had been received from
General Lucius Clay that cultural objects in the U.S. Zone would be turned over
to the new corporation and the State Department was favorably inclined.
In view of the JDC's membership in the Jewish Restitution Commission they requested the JDC to reconsider its previous decision not to join the Cultural
Reconstruction Corporation. Mr, Sobel indicated that the question of JDC's
membership is a matter which would have to be referred to the JDC Administration
Committee for decision.
According to Professors Baron and Michael, the Cultural Corporation views its
work as a specialized aspect of the overall restitution commission and it has
been designated as its agent in dealing with restitution of cultural- objects.
It is anxious to avoid any duplication and, wherever possible, contemplates
calling on the Jewish Restitution Commission for necessary services, such as
legal aid etc. Organizationally, it plans to establish a small coordinating
office with a director and secretary here in the United States, and to send overseas a number of experts for carrying on the work. The number of the field staff
will depend on the overseas situation vfoich has not yet been fully explored,
They proposed that the JDC and the JAFP meet the budgetary requirements (salaries,
transportation, shipping costs etc,) of the Cultural Corporation, Since the recovered objects will not be sold, the corporation will not derive any funds from
its work;
Mr, Sobel felt that general approach of integrating the work of Cultural Corporation with the Jewish Restitution Commission is logical. He proposed that in the
event the JDC and the JAFP agree to finance the work of the Cultural Corporation,
its field staff should be administratively responsible to the larger body. He
explained that such an arrangement is essential in order to insure adequate coordination of activities, proper supervision of the overseas staff, uniformity of
salaries and personnel practises, facilitation of transportation of recovered objects etc. Professors Baron and Michael expressed their accord with Mr. Sobel's"
suggestion. It was understood that the above proposals would require clearance
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with Dri Joseph J . Schwartz, and be subject to approval by the JDC Administration
Committee*
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Pending f i n a l c l a r i f i c a t i o n of the JDC'rs policy iff'regard t o t h e Cultural Recons t r u c t i o n Corporation, Professors Baron and Michael requested the following;1, Assumption by the JDC (and the JAFP) of s a l a r i e s and i n c i d e n t a l expenses t o
enable the Cultural Corporation t o send t h r e e c u l t u r a l experts abroad t o Germany
and Czechoslovakia during the summer months to conduct a preliminary.survey,
2 . Allocation by the JDC of $10,000, - $12,000, for shipping 60,000 recovered
books now i n Prague t o the Hebrew University in P a l e s t i n e ,
I t was agreed t h a t t h e s e two requests would be cleared, with Dr, Schwartz immediately,'
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