Israel Breslow (1906 in

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

– July 28, 1985 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) was a garment worker,

local union A local union (often shortened to local), in North America, or union branch (known as a lodge in some unions), in the United Kingdom and other countries, is a local branch (or chapter) of a usually national trade union. The terms used for sub-bran ...

manager, union staffer, and Vice-President of the

International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) was a labor union for employees in the women's clothing industry in the United States. It was one of the largest unions in the country, one of the first to have a primarily female membersh ...

(ILGWU).

Biography

Israel Breslow was born in the Russian Empire, emigrated to Canada, and settled in New York City where he had a long career with the ILGWU. Breslow was a member of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America from 1922 to 1936 while working in Canada. In 1936, after moving to New York City and beginning work as an operator in the garment industry, Breslow joined Dressmakers Local 22. Breslow served on the local's executive board and as business agent, before eventually being elected manager of Local 22, serving in that role from 1958 to 1975. In 1962, Breslow became a Vice-President of the ILGWU. He retired from the ILGWU in 1975, after which he became president of

the Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' (), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ''The New York Times'' reported that Set ...

Association. Additionally, Breslow was president of the

Workmen's Circle The Workers Circle or Der Arbeter Ring (), formerly The Workmen's Circle, is an American Jews, Jewish nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community and education, including Yiddish studies, and Ashkenazi Jews, ...

from 1958 to 1962, and again from 1966 to 1970. He died in New York City, at the age of 79.

Sources

ILGWU. Communications Department biography files. 5780/177. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.
"Israel Breslow, Labor Leader Who Led Jewish Organization." ''The New York Times''. 31 Jul. 1985.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breslow, Israel Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Canada Canadian emigrants to the United States American trade union leaders International Ladies Garment Workers Union leaders 1906 births 1985 deaths