9 linear feet, 7 linear inches open for research, 22 Containers

The material in this collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, notes, briefing materials, speeches, press releases, news clippings and miscellaneous printed materials that represent the function of this office. The material illustrate how the office identified priorities and established support for the Carter Administration’s policies among American Jewish leaders and Jewish organizations. 

These files document how the Adviser to the President for Jewish Affairs worked with Jewish leaders and organizations on issues including U.S. aid to Israel; the Camp David negotiations; the overall Middle East situation; coordinating commemorations of the Holocaust; Soviet and East European Jews emigration to other nations; and assisting in the drafting of the Executive Order establishing a special Justice Department unit to investigate alleged Nazi war criminals residing in the U.S. 

Ed Sanders and Alfred Moses both served as advisors to the President on American Jewish affairs and as liaisons to the Jewish community.

Office of the Adviser to the President on American Jewish Affairs The Administration considered the American Jewish community a key constituency whose support was critical to the outcome of the 1980 presidential election. Ed Sanders and Alfred Moses both served as advisors to the President on American Jewish affairs and as liaisons to the Jewish community. Ed Sanders served as adviser from July 1978, until early March 1980, when he was succeeded by Al Moses, who served until the end of the administration. The function of this office is to address the various concerns of American Jewish leaders, organizations, and individuals.

As liaison, Sanders represented administration policy toward Israel and addressed the concerns of Jewish Americans who disagreed with the approach the administration was taking to secure a settlement between Israel and the Arab nations. Moses in particular played an active role during the 1980 presidential campaign in attempting to solidify American Jewish support for the administration’s Middle East policies. Although Sanders and Moses dealt with some of the substantive aspects of the Middle East treaties, their office primarily served a public outreach function and was not directly involved in the formulation of foreign policy.  

Edward Sanders served as President of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee from 1975-1976. In 1976, he was the Deputy National Campaign Director for the Carter campaign. He served as Senior Advisor to the President for Jewish Affairs from July 1978 until early March 1980. In 1980, he returned to his Los Angeles firm and worked for the Carter/Mondale reelection campaign.

Alfred H. Moses was born in 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his B.A. at Dartmouth College. He served in the military as Lieutenant, U.S. Navy and was assigned to National Security Agency as analyst in Chinese affairs and military communication from 1952-1956. In 1956, he earned his J.D. at Georgetown Law Center. From 1970-1971 he was an advisor for the District of Columbia government. In 1977, he served as Chairman of the Negotiating Committee for the Business Roundtable. He served as Special Advisor to President Carter for Jewish Affairs, from early 1980-1981. In 1981, he returned to the private law practice firm of Covington and Burling, in Washington, D.C.

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Records of the Office of the Adviser to the President on American Jewish Affairs are divided into 8 series.

Series I: Alfred Moses’ Subject Files - NAID 596727

This series was opened in July 1989. This series contains correspondence, memoranda, publications, briefing agendas, appointment requests, telegrams, requests, telegrams, telephone messages, notes, speech drafts, invitations, photographs and press clippings. This material relates to the White House efforts to establish support for administration policies among American Jewish leaders and organizations. The foreign policy briefings were prepared to inform Jewish Americans on such topics as U.S. aid to Israel, the Camp David negotiations and the overall situation in the Middle East. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series II: Al Moses’ 1980 Chronological Files - NAID 596730

This series opened in July 1989. This series consists of correspondence, publications, speeches, memoranda, briefing materials, telegrams, news clippings and telephone messages. Most of the correspondence deals with responses from the heavy volume of mail from individuals and groups. Arranged chronologically.

Series III: Al Moses’ 1980 Campaign Files - NAID 596732

This series opened in July 1989. This series contains briefing material, news clippings, memoranda, correspondence, speeches, briefing schedules, telephone messages, political contact lists, itineraries, agendas and campaign literature. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series IV: Sara Seanor’s Subject Files - NAID 596734

This series opened in July 1989. This series contains campaign literature, news clippings, memoranda, position papers, background material, briefing materials, correspondence, political contact lists, speeches, telegrams and telephone messages relating to the 1980 campaign. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series V: Marc Grossman’s Subject Files - NAID 596735

This series opened in July 1989. This series contains correspondence, memoranda, briefing material, notes, telegrams, telephone messages and news clippings. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series VI: Edward Sanders’ Memoranda File - NAID 144187

This series opened in July 1989. This series contains notes, memoranda, appointment schedules, visitor lists, speech drafts, organization lists, briefing papers, meeting agendas and resumes. This material primarily deals with routine internal notes dealing with Sanders’ duties as liaison. Arranged chronologically.

Series VII: Edward Sanders’ Correspondence Files - NAID 144203

This series opened July 1989. This series contains correspondence, letters, notes, telegrams, publications, news clippings, invitations and resumes. This material mainly relates to correspondence received primarily from Jewish citizens and organizations. Also included are official replies to the comments, requests, suggestions and inquiries expressed in the correspondence. Arranged chronologically.

Series VIII: Edward Sanders’ Press Files - NAID 144204

This series was opened in July 1989. This series contains newspaper and magazine clippings, publications; press booklets, press summaries, radio and television broadcast transcripts and press releases. This material relates to issues which concern the Jewish community. Arranged chronologically.

Restrictions on Access: These papers contain documents restricted in accordance with Executive Order 12958, which governs National Security policies, and material which has been closed in accordance with the donor’s deed of gift.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction: Copyright interest in these papers has been donated to the United States Government. Some of the records may be subject to copyright restrictions (i.e. newspapers, publications, etc). Researchers should contact the publisher for further information.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction: Copyright interest in these papers has been donated to the United States Government. Some of the records may be subject to copyright restrictions (i.e. newspapers, publications, etc). Researchers should contact the publisher for further information.

The Records of the Office of the Adviser to the President on American Jewish Affairs are held at Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 411 John Lewis Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307.

Subjects:

Jewish Press

Soviet Jewry

Holocaust Commemoration

Human Rights

 

Persons:

Edward Sander,

Alfred Moses

Sara Seanor

Marc Grossman

Organizations:

Jewish Community Services

Jewish Federation

Jewish Organizations

Places:

Israel

Middle East

Camp David

1978-1980

Related materials in this repository:

Domestic Policy Staff: Eizenstat

Carter-Mondale Campaign Committee Director’s and Issues Office

 

Alfred Moses’ Subject Files

 

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Al Moses’ 1980 Chronological Files

 

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Al Moses’ 1980 Campaign Files

 

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Sara Seanor’s Subject Files

 

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Marc Grossman’s Subject Files

 

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Edward Sanders’ Memoranda Files

 

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Edward Sanders’ Press Files

 

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Preferred citation: [Type of Document], [Names of Sender and Recipient or Title of Document], [Date], [Collection Title], [Series Title], [Folder Title], [Box Number], Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

Acquisition information: These historical materials were received under provisions of the instrument of gift that Jimmy Carter signed January 31, 1981.

Processing information: The series of the collection were opened in July 1989.