Since our founding in 1941, the Jewish Peace Fellowship has stood as a beacon of nonviolent activism and conscientious objection within the Jewish community, guided by a steady commitment to peace and justice.
What began as a refuge for Jewish conscientious objectors during the Second World War has grown into more than eight decades of peace work — through the Civil Rights era, the war in Vietnam, and the contemporary struggles for disarmament and a just peace. This is the story of that journey.
Our journey through the decades
1941–1950: Our founding
The Jewish Peace Fellowship was established in 1941 to support Jewish conscientious objectors during the Second World War, providing guidance and advocacy for those who chose a nonviolent path. In a moment when pacifism was rarely heard within the Jewish community, the Fellowship insisted that the prophetic call to peace belonged at the center of Jewish life — and stood beside the young men who refused to take up arms.
1950–1970: Civil Rights and Vietnam
Through the decades that followed, the Fellowship took an active part in the Civil Rights Movement and, as the war in Vietnam escalated, renewed its support for conscientious objectors facing the draft. Counseling, advocacy, and a moral witness rooted in Jewish tradition carried the work forward, joining the broader movements for justice and against war.
1970–present: Modern peace work
In the years since, we have expanded our mission to meet contemporary conflicts — pressing for nuclear disarmament and promoting peaceful, just solutions in Israel and Palestine. The questions change with each generation, but the conviction does not: that peace is the work to which we are called.
Key figures in our history
The Fellowship has been shaped by people who gave Jewish pacifism a voice and an organization. Rabbi Abraham Cronbach, a founding member, was among the most influential advocates for Jewish pacifism of his generation, making the case that nonviolence was not a departure from Jewish teaching but a fulfillment of it. Jane Evans, an early leader, helped shape the organization’s direction in its formative years. Their work, and that of the leaders who have carried the mission forward since, remains the foundation of all we do.
Historical achievements
Over more than eighty years, the Fellowship’s witness has taken many forms:
- Conscientious objection support — guidance and advocacy for thousands of Jewish conscientious objectors.
- Civil Rights movement — active participation alongside key leaders in the struggle for justice.
- Peace education — decades of teaching and advocacy within Jewish communities.
- Interfaith collaboration — building bridges across faith communities in the pursuit of peace.
The story continues with each person who joins the work. To learn about the people who built this Fellowship, meet our founders and leaders — and to add your voice to the next chapter, get involved.