Editing Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (section)

==Activities==
[[File:Itzik Feffer, Albert Einstein and Solomon Mikhoels 1943.jpg|thumb|260px|[[Itzik Feffer]], [[Albert Einstein]] and [[Solomon Mikhoels]] in the United States in 1943.]]
[[Solomon Mikhoels]], the popular actor and director of the [[Moscow State Jewish Theatre]], was appointed the JAC chairman. The JAC's newspaper in [[Yiddish]] was called ''Eynigkayt'' ({{lang|yi|אייניקייט}} "Unity", [[Cyrillic script|Cyrillic]]: ''Эйникейт'').

The JAC broadcast pro-Soviet [[propaganda]] to foreign audiences, assuring them of the absence of [[antisemitism]] in the [[Soviet Union]]. In 1943, Mikhoels and [[Itzik Feffer]], the first official representatives of the Soviet Jewry allowed to visit the [[Western world|West]], embarked on a seven-month tour to the United States, Mexico, Canada and the [[United Kingdom]] to increase their support for the [[Lend-Lease]]. In the US, they were welcomed by a National Reception Committee chaired by [[Albert Einstein]] and by B.Z. Goldberg, [[Sholem Aleichem]]'s son-in-law, and [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee]]. The largest pro-Soviet rally ever in the United States was held on July 8 at the [[Polo Grounds]], where 50,000 people listened to Mikhoels, Feffer, [[Fiorello H. La Guardia]], [[Sholem Asch]], and Chairman of [[World Jewish Congress]] [[Rabbi]] [[Stephen Samuel Wise]]. Among others, they met [[Chaim Weizmann]], [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Marc Chagall]], [[Paul Robeson]] and [[Lion Feuchtwanger]].

In addition to the funds for the Soviet war effort – US$16 million raised in the US, $15 million in England, $1 million in Mexico, $750,000 in [[Mandatory Palestine]] – other help was also contributed: machinery, medical equipment, medicine, ambulances, clothes. On May 24, 1942, at the second meeting of the “representatives of the Jewish people”, a worldwide appeal for donations was made to collect money for the purchase of 1,000 tanks and 500 airplanes for the Red Army.<ref>https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-anti-fascist-committee</ref> On July 16, 1943, ''[[Pravda]]'' reported: "Mikhoels and Feffer received a message from Chicago that a special conference of the Joint initiated a campaign to finance a thousand ambulances for the needs of the [[Red Army]]." The visit drew the attention of the American public to the necessity of entering the European war.