Congregation Beth Israel Hartford Connecticut collection, 1920-1999

Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1843 and is Connecticut's oldest synagogue. Originally established as an Orthodox congregation, the synagogue eventually converted to Reform and was one of the founding members of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (Union for Reform Judaism) in 1877. This collection includes event flyers, programs for services, sermons, anniversary books with historical information, and bulletins. Box 1: General/Miscellaneous Materials 1927-1970. 100th Anniversary /Programs and Invitations 1943. 125th Anniversary/Program 1968. Publications/Bulletins 1920-1959. Box 2: Publications/ Bulletings 1950-1969. Box 3: Publications/ Bulletins 1960-1989. Box 4: Publications/ Bulletin 1989-1999.

Beth Israel Hospital (Boston, MA) Records, undated, 1923, 1930-1964, 1988, 1991-1992

In 1916, the Jewish community of Boston established Beth Israel Hospital on Townsend Street in Roxbury to provide health care to immigrants in the area. Although accessible to everyone, the hospital provided Yiddish-speaking services for Eastern European Jewish immigrants and served kosher food, as well as conducted Jewish religious services. In 1928 the hospital entered into a teaching agreement with Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, and Simmons College. Shortly thereafter, the hospital moved to its current location in the Longwood area of Boston and expanded to a 220-bed operation. During 1935-1936, at the height of the Depression, Beth Israel spent 1.5 million dollars in free patient care and was only one of two local hospitals to offer health care to people on welfare. In 1996, Beth Israel Hospital merged with Deaconess Medical Center and became Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. This collection contains reports, pamphlets and hospital publications.

Temple Israel Boston, Massachusetts collection, 1924-1996

Temple Israel was founded as Congregation Adath Israel in 1854 when a group of German Jews broke from Congregation Ohabei Shalom. The congregation was also known as the Pleasant Street Synagogue. In 1859, the congregation purchased cemetery land in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The synagogue was, and remains, a Reform congregation, and has been home to well known Rabbis, including Joshua Loth Liebman and Roland B. Gittelsohn. This collection contains flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, sermons and a yearbook.

Upper Valley Jewish Community Hanover, New Hampshire collection, undated, 1984-1996

The Upper Valley Jewish Community (UVJC) is an egalitarian congregation on the campus of Dartmouth College. The congregation hosts a Hebrew School and publishes the newsletter, "The Jewish Connection." This collection consists of several issues of the publication, "The Jewish Connection," as well as other miscellaneous invitations and programs for a variety of events.

Mount Scopus Lodge Malden, Massachusetts collection, 1930-1940, 1942

Mount Scopus Lodge in Malden, Massachusetts was a Masonic Lodge established in 1930 by Bertram E. Green and George Kramer. Named for the mountain from which Roman legions and crusaders conducted their assaults on Jerusalem, the Lodge had a strong following in the first ten years of their existence. This collection contains by-laws, concert programs, and a booklet with a historical sketch.

Hebrew College collection, 1928-1996

Louis Hurwich, then superintendent of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Boston, founded Hebrew Teacher’s College in 1921. Hurwich was concerned about Jewish teachers leaving the field of Jewish education for other professions and sought an educational system that promoted Hebrew literacy at all levels. Hebrew Teacher’s College was also responsible for maintaining Hebrew High School (Prozdor), located at 14 Crawford Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Those students who graduated from the high school could matriculate to Hebrew Teacher’s College without having to take an exam. In 1943, the high school offered Talmud classes in addition to its regular curriculum, with studies in the Bible, Hebrew, Jewish History, and codes and customs. In 2002, the College moved to its current location in Newton, Massachusetts. One year later, it opened its Rabbinical School. This collection contains brochures, catalogs, commencement addresses, event fliers, invitations, pamphlets and publications.

Myer Starr, memoirs undated

Myer Starr was born in Dmitrovka in the Ukraine, which was then part of Russia. As a child he was apprenticed to a tailor and later a bakery before he began work at a dry goods store at the age of 11. After his mother died, Starr and his younger brother crossed the border into Germany and then immigrated to the United States. Starr and his brother sailed on the "Kleist" into New York in February 1913. From there, they traveled to a sister's house in Malden, Massachusetts. Myer later married and had two sons, graduates of Harvard College and Tufts University.

Temple Mishkan Tefila Boston, Massachusetts collection, 1922-1996

Congregation Mishkan Tefila was founded in 1858 as Mishkan Israel, and is considered to be the oldest conservative synagogue in New England. Its founding members were East Prussian Jews who separated from Ohabei Shalom, which was predominately Polish at the time. In 1894, Mishkan Israel and another conservative synagogue, Shaarei Tefila, merged to form Congregation Mishkan Tefila. The synagogue moved its religious school to Walnut Street in Newton in 1955, and began planning for a new building in Chestnut Hill on Hammond Pond Parkway. The groundbreaking ceremony was on November 13, 1955. In 1958, services were held for the first time in the new synagogue building. This collection contains plays, annual reports, programs for events and dinners, and newsletters.

Temple Beth El Providence, Rhode Island collection, 1940-1969

In 1916, the Jewish community of Boston established Beth Israel Temple Beth-El, located on the East Side of Providence, dates back to 1849, with the creation of the group "Sons of Israel." On September 10, 1849, Solomon Pareira, Leonard Gavitts and Morris Steinberg were granted an acre of land along the New London Turnpike (now Reservoir Avenue) to establish a cemetery. In 1854, the Congregation of the Sons of Israel and David was established, leading to president Solomon Pareira's deeding of the cemetery land in 1857 for the sole utilization of the congregation. This collection contains programs, sermons and newsletters. Although the congregation was originally Orthodox, it affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (Union for Reform Judaism) in 1877.

Congregation Ohabei Shalom Brookline, Massachusetts collection, undated, 1909-1991

Temple Ohabei Shalom was founded on February 26, 1843 by several Boston Jewish families, and is the first synagogue established in Massachusetts. After meeting in the homes of both a founding congregant and the first elected Rabbi, Abraham Saling, Ohabei Shalom dedicated its first building on Warren (now Warrenton) Street in Boston in 1852. In 1855, the German Jewish congregants left Ohabei Shalom and founded Congregation Adath Israel (now Temple Israel in Boston.) The Polish Jewish congregants maintained the name Ohabei Shalom and the cemetery land in East Boston. In 1858, East Prussian Jews also left the congregation, forming Die Israelitische Gemeinde Mishkan Israel (now Miskhan Tefila in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.) This collection contains flyers, programs and tickets for events as well as copies of bulletins and newsletters, such as Brotherhood Bulletin, Stars and Stripes, Temple Bulletin and Temple Tidings.

Ancestors and descendants of Michael Mayer, Biebesheim/Rhein.

Family tree of the Michael Mayer family. Contains memoir on Biebesheim. Also included are copies of photographs and vital records.

Oversized Materials, Box 1 1873, 1876, 1880

Oversized materials is the digitized contents of one box (OS1) that consists of correspondence and an address from Box 2, Folders 12, 13 and 17.

Oversized Materials, Box 1 1873, 1876, 1880

Oversized materials is the digitized contents of one box (OS1) that consists of correspondence and an address from Box 2, Folders 12, 13 and 17.

Oversized Materials, Box 1 1873, 1876, 1880

Oversized materials is the digitized contents of one box (OS1) that consists of correspondence and an address from Box 2, Folders 12, 13 and 17.

Oversized Materials, Box 1 1873, 1876, 1880

Oversized materials is the digitized contents of one box (OS1) that consists of correspondence and an address from Box 2, Folders 12, 13 and 17.