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.

Mediaş Jewish Community Photograph Collection 1900-1930s bulk: undated

The collection contains more than 60 black and white photographs from the first decades of the 20th century found in the synagogue of Mediaş (Mediasch, Medgyes), Romania. The photographs were found in the process of an on-going clean-up and restoration project and for the most part are unidentified. The photographs are of community members and their relatives and friends; they consist of group family portraits, individual portraits, babies, and children. Some of the photographs originate from Mediaş and other nearby Transylvanian towns, while others were printed by foreign printing shops and were presumably sent to relatives living in Mediaş.

Letters from N.H. Gould of Newport, Rhode Island

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Payment warrants, K.K.S.I.

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Promissory note to Aaron Levy

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Bill for various repairs to K.K.S.I.

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Bill for masonry work on K.K.S.I.

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Orders of service

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Dedication of new synagogue in Surinam (Dutch)

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Certificate of Jacques Judah Lyons discharge as hazan in Surinam

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Application of Jacques Judah Lyons to K. K .S. I. for hazan

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Recommendation of Jacques Judah Lyons from Surinam

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Application of Rachel Hays for a seat

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