The collection contains copies of articles and photocopies of archival material used for research, drafts of speeches and manuscripts, handwritten and typed research notes, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and teaching and course material such as syllabi, readings, notes, and bibliographies. These materials were gathered by Goren between approximately 1960 and 2005, as he conducted research in, wrote about, and taught American Jewish history at universities in the United States and Israel.

This collection documents the professional and personal life of James Grover McDonald, a diplomat who worked extensively with refugee issues and served as the first U.S. ambassador to Israel.

This collection documents the personal and political life of Herbert H. Lehman, who served as lieutenant governor, governor, and senator of New York, and as director-general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

Max M. Laserson Papers consist of correspondence and writings of Max Matthasia Laserson (Moisei Iakovlevich Laserson), philosopher, jurist, politician and public figure.

Files of the ESCO Fund Committee, Inc. and its related foundations ESCO Foundation for Palestine and ESCO, Friends, Inc. The files contain correspondence, reports, clippings, Board minute books, photographs and ESCO publications. Among the correspondence are Stephen Wise, Theodore Kolleck, Ernest Bloch, and Leonard Bernstein. The collection also includes papers relating to Frank and Ethel Cohen's personal (i.e., non-ESCO) Zionist and Jewish interests.