Archival Collections

The collections document the history of Temple Israel, its committees and auxiliaries, and the lives of temple members. Manuscripts, board of trustee and committee minutes, published and printed material, photographs, scrapbooks, audio-visual recordings, memorabilia, and other material provide information regarding the ways that the congregation has changed and grown, as well as the traditions it has maintained. The earliest records date from the temple's founding in 1854, but the bulk of the material ranges from 1911 to the present. Here are some highlights:

Administrative Records
These records relate specifically to the administration of Temple Israel. They include mainly correspondence, meeting minutes and reports, mailings and notices, and brochures, supplemented by some photographic material. Several collections are also useful in researching family history, as they contain information regarding congregants. Many of the records from the last thirty-five years, especially those of the Board of Trustees, are closed to researchers. For more information, contact the Temple archivist.

• Minutes of the Board of Trustees: December 1861-present
  
• Membership Committee: 1861-present (with gaps)
  
• Temple Committee: 1944-1990
  
• Bylaws/Legal Committee: 1923-present
  
• Treasurer’s Reports: 1921-present
  
• Fundraising/Development: 1925-present (with gaps)

Buildings Collection, 1855-1990s
This collection contains records regarding the various buildings that Temple Israel has owned and occupied over its 150-year history. Material includes fundraising records, architectural and construction plans, deeds of ownership, and maintenance records. A significant collection of photographs supplements the written records.

1854: Pleasant Street Synagogue dedicated

1885: Columbus Avenue Synagogue dedicated

1907: Commonwealth Avenue Synagogue dedicated

1928: Longwood Avenue Meeting House dedicated

1973: Longwood Avenue Sanctuary dedicated

Cemetery Records, 1859-1990s
Temple Israel's cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts, was founded in 1859. The archives contains a variety of records pertaining to this historic cemetery, including burial records, maps and plans, legal deeds, maintenance records, and photographs. It also contains the records of the temple's cemetery committee and programs for the annual Memorial Day service.


Club and Committee Records
Congregants of Temple Israel have maintained a variety of social, cultural, and communities service activities since the temple's founding. Here is a short list of auxiliary clubs, committees, and other organizations for which the archives holds records:

Active organizations:

• Women of Reform Judaism (formerly the Sisterhood): 1903-present
  
• Brotherhood: 1913-present
  
• Social Action Committee: 1959-present
  
• Riverway program: 2001-present

Defunct organizations:

• Israel Committee: 1959-1986
  
• Garden Club: 1940s-1990s
  
• Couples Club: 1958-1984
  
• Art Committee: 1900s-1980s
  
• College Club: 1959-1982

Educational Programs
Temple Israel has maintained a religious education program since its founding. The archives includes various records from the religious school, youth programs, continuing education programs, and the Frances Jacobson Early Education Center (FJECC, established 1994). A significant collection of images supplement the written records.

• Bar/Bat Mitzvah: 1940s-present
  
• Confirmation: 1874-present
  
• Continuing Education Committee: 1920s-present
  
• Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center: 1989-present
  
• Library: 1928-present
  
• Parent/Teacher Association: 1950s-1980s
  
• Religious School: 1870s-1980s (bulk 1950s-1980s)
  
• Temple Israel Lifelong Learning Initiative (TILLI): 2008-present
  
• Youth programs (Youth Committee, RYFTI, NEFTY, FASTY): 1930s-present

Lifecycle Records
The temple archives contains various records of lifecycle events. Much of the material is organized according to the individual clergy member who performed the ceremony; as such, availability is scattered, particularly for the years before 1911.

• Baby namings: 1980s-present (material organized by clergy member)
  
• Bar/bat mitzvah: 1941 [1956]-present
  
• Confirmation: 1874-present
  
• Conversion: 1960s-present (material organized by clergy member)
  
• Death/burial: 1859-present
  
• Hebrew names: 1980s-present (material organized by clergy member)
  
• Marriage: 1911-present (material organized by clergy member)
  

Rabbinical Collections
The Archives contains various administrative and pastoral records generated by the temple’s senior and assistant rabbis during their time at Temple Israel. Other material includes manuscripts and published sermons, professional and personal papers, correspondence, photographs, and news clippings. Highlights for the senior rabbis include:

Joseph Sachs (1854-1856): photographic prints, news clippings, biographical file

Joseph Shoninger (1856-1874): photographic prints, news clippings, biographical file

Solomon Schindler (1874-1894): photographs (including family album), some documents, news clippings; manuscript collection at American Jewish Archives (AJA), biographical file

Charles Fleischer (1894-1911): photographs, some documents and sermons, news clippings

Harry Levi (1911-1939): photographs, published and printed sermons, radio broadcasts, clippings, scrapbooks, rabbinical reports, small manuscript collection, biographical file

Joshua Loth Liebman (1939-1948): small manuscript collection containing correspondence, material related to publicity for his best-selling book, Peace of Mind (1946), and memorial tributes; photographs, published and printed sermons, radio broadcasts, scrapbooks, rabbinical reports, biographical file. Note: There is also an extensive manuscript collection for Rabbi Liebman and his wife, Fan Loth Liebman, at Boston University.

Abraham J. Klausner (1949-1953): photographs, published and printed sermons, radio and television broadcasts, rabbinical reports, biographical file

Roland B. Gittelsohn (1953-1977): Substantial correspondence and subject files covering 1953-1995 (copies of originals contained in collection at American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati); photographs, published and printed sermons, radio and television broadcasts, rabbinical reports, scrapbooks, biographical file

Bernard H. Mehlman (1977-1999): photographs, published and printed sermons, radio and television broadcasts, rabbinical reports, biographical file; manuscript collection at AJA

Ronne Friedman (1999-present): photographs, published and printed sermons, radio and television broadcasts, rabbinical reports, biographical file

Internal Publications Collection
The Archives holds numerous publications produced by Temple Israel administrators, clubs and committees, the religious school, and congregants, including:

• Histories of Temple Israel and affiliated groups
  
• Temple Israel Bulletin, 1907-present
  
• Weekly informational handouts, 1981-present
  
• Religious service programs
  
• Torchbearer (religious school yearbook), 1947-1972
  
• Confirmation, Post-Confirmation, Hebrew School, and Graduation service programs, 1900-present
  
• Annual reports, catalogs, and promotional literature (pamphlets, brochures, programs)

Print Collection, 1870s-present
The Archives contains a large collection of photographic and digital images documenting congregational life at Temple Israel from the 1890s to the present. Included are photographs of special events and holiday celebrations; religious school and youth activities; portraits of significant clergy, administrators, special guests, and congregants; and images of the temple’s various buildings.

Oral History Collection, 1970s-present
Temple members have made a concerted effort over the years to conduct oral history interviews with members of the clergy and staff, lay leaders, and congregants. Audiotapes and transcripts of many of these interviews are housed in the Temple Israel Archives and the Temple Israel Library. Please see the archivist for a complete list of existing interviews. Please also talk to the archivist if you are interested in being a subject of an interview or conducting one.

Audio/Visual Collection, 1930s-present
The Archives and Library contain a number of audio and video recordings of temple services, rabbinic sermons, special events, and other functions that have taken place at Temple Israel over the years. Most of these materials can be found through the library's online catalog: http://library.tisrael.org.