November 10, 2011 – New York – At a New York City hotel 105 years ago, a group of concerned American Jews launched the American Jewish Committee (AJC).  After several preparatory meetings in 1906, they decided to create AJC as a response to the pogroms that had been sweeping Russia since 1903, threatening Jewish lives and property.

“Our core mission, to assure the security of Jews worldwide, and to further strengthen the Jewish people in a world respectful of the rights of all, remains as strong today as it was more than a century ago,” said David Harris, AJC’s executive director.

The original AJC charter, adopted on November 11, 1906, described that mission as “to prevent the infraction of the civil and religious rights of Jews in any part of the world.” And the motto chosen that day for the AJC seal was: “Be of good courage and let us prove strong for the sake of our people,” which is a translation of the Hebrew phrase, chazzak ve’nitchazka be’ad ammenu from Chronicles 19:13.

The organization has grown dramatically since then. Today it has a constituent base of over 175,000, 26 offices across the U.S., eight overseas posts and 31 international partnerships with Jewish communities around the world. In addition to its role in seeking to protect the well-being of Jewish communities, AJC has long been a key global advocate for support for Israel, and a pioneer in advancing interfaith and intergroup relations.

“The vision of our courageous and committed founders is instilled in the daily work of AJC,” said Harris. “We look forward to many years of continued effort on behalf of world Jewry and in defense of democratic values. While AJC has an exceptional record of landmark achievements documented by historians, there remains much work to be done to fulfill the sacred mission of those who established the agency.”