The Collection of Israel Zajd

Featured Artifact from the Jewish Labor and Political Archives

In the early 1970s, Israel Zajd sought to write a book on Morgnshtern, the sports organization of the Jewish Labor Bund established in 1926. Zajd served as the secretary of the Executive Committee of Morgnshtern in Poland, a position he held until the outbreak of WWII. Morgnshtern attempted to attract young Jewish workers by putting key Bundist principles into practice through sport—socialism, working-class consciousness, internationalism, and the promotion of Yiddish culture. Morgnshtern encouraged group activities such as gymnastics, hiking, cycling, swimming, and eurhythmics. Zajd compiled dozens of scrapbooks containing original and typed materials documenting the history and activities of Morgnshtern during the 1920s and 1930s: leadership and conference proceedings; competitions and meets; sports clubs; and participation in the Workers’ Olympiads. Included in the collection are striking collages such as this image of two gymnasts enthusiastically demonstrating their skills against an industrial backdrop of factories and smokestacks. Though Zajd’s monograph was never finished, his collection is a rich resource for those hoping to better understand the organization.