Workers Circle Unveils Fully Digitized Archive of The Call, a Landmark of American Jewish History
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2025
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-8449
NEW YORK – The Workers Circle today announced the unveiling of a fully digitized and publicly accessible archive of the Call, its historic English-language newsletter published from 1929 through the twentieth century. Once distributed to more than 100,000 readers nationwide, the Call served as a vital voice for Jewish immigrants and their children as they navigated life in America and fought for democracy, labor rights, and social justice.
Now, for the first time, this treasure trove of American Jewish history is available online at www.archive.thecall.org. Visitors can explore original essays, news analysis, letters, photographs, and advertisements that capture the pulse of a Jewish community in transformation—and its deep involvement in the nation’s most urgent struggles.
“The Call shares, in real time, the Eastern European Jewish-American story, amplifying the voices of Jewish immigrants who built new lives in the United States while simultaneously building movements for social change that led to landmark legislation and lasting progress. In the archives we hear from the movement builders who sent organizers to strikes across the country in support of worker rights, who joined the front lines of the Civil Rights movement, and who protected democracy itself,” said Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle. “As our country faces new and accelerating threats to democratic freedoms, this archive not only preserves history, it inspires us to continue the fight for an inclusive, multiracial democracy today.”
“I think the archive is a trove of information about the Workmen’s Circle and the Socialist movement generally,” said Tony Michels, George L. Mosse Professor of American Jewish History, University of Wisconsin - Madison. “It’s an invaluable research tool.”
"What a gift! The Workers Circle is one of the most important and least understood pillars of American Jewish life. This archive of its publications, going all the way back to 1929, is a rich bounty for students, scholars, and anyone interested in the long and vibrant history of Jewish internationalism,” said Jeremy Menchik, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Boston University, and Director of the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA). “And at a time of great crisis in America, this archive offers lessons about how to fight fascism, build democratic coalitions, and grapple with the pressing issues of the day."
Key highlights from the archive include:
Historic Commentary: Reactions to U.S. presidential elections, debates about Jewish assimilation, and reflections on the Holocaust and refugee crises. (Examples here and here)
Civil Rights and Social Justice: Coverage of labor organizing, civil rights struggles, and tributes to leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Example here)
American Jewish Identity in Transition: Firsthand accounts of Jewish immigrant families adapting to American life, secularism, and shifting cultural norms. (Example here)
Cultural Preservation: Original cartoons, photography, and illustrations that illuminate mid-20th century Jewish activism and everyday life. (Examples here, here, and here.)
The archive is fully digitized, keyword searchable, and curated by theme, with metadata aligned to Library of Congress standards. Themes range from labor activism and Yiddish culture to civil rights, refugees after WWII, and progressive politics.
As the Workers Circle celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2025, the project stands as both a legacy preservation initiative and a living resource for scholars, journalists, educators, and the broader public.
The digital archive of the Call is now available to the public at www.archive.thecall.org.
About the Workers Circle
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2025, the Workers Circle is a national Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the United States fleeing autocracy and persecution and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities. That history drives the organization’s work for an inclusive democracy and social equality today. Through strategic and impactful social justice initiatives, vibrant Yiddish language classes and programs, and interactive educational activities, the Workers Circle powers a growing multigenerational community of 150,000+ activists creating meaningful social change, building transformative coalitions, and demanding a multiracial multicultural democracy for all.