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Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia Records

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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

The Jewish Community Centers (JCC) of Greater Philadelphia operated community and senior centers at locations throughout the city. The centers provided educational, cultural, and social opportunities to Philadelphians regardless of race, creed, or national origin. Formally dissolved in 2009, the organization traced its roots back to the founding of the Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) in 1875.

The YMHA was founded in 1875 to provide Jewish men with educational, entertainment, and social opportunities. Women had limited participation in YMHA activities until 1920, when a separate YWHA was formed. The two organizations soon shared facilities, and officially merged in 1924 to form the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA). The YM-YWHA offered numerous clubs, athletic leagues, and educational opportunities. They also established summer camps in the Philadelphia suburbs, including Camp Reeta and Camp Arthur, which operated from 1926 to the mid-1990s. The YM-YWHA established many branches over the course of its operation and was affiliated with several similar organizations. The main clubhouse changed address as the organization grew, and at various times was located at included Broad and Spring Garden Streets, 933 North Broad Street, and 1616 Master Street. In 1924, a permanent home for the organization was constructed at Broad and Pine Streets. The YM-YWHA continued as an independent organization until 1965, when it merged with the Neighborhood Centre.

The Neighborhood Center was a community service organization and settlement house established in 1885 as the Young Women's Union (YWU). The YWU was organized to operate a kindergarten and to aid children of Eastern European Jewish immigrants settling in Philadelphia. In 1918, the YWU reincorporated as the Neighborhood Centre. Programming at the center included youth canteens, various hobby clubs, holiday camps, musical events, and classes in art, music, and drama. In the 1960s, the similarity between the programming of the Neighborhood Centre and the YM-YWHA became apparent. Both organizations served all religious and ethnic groups in the neighborhoods they were located. Both had athletic facilities, and served children, adults, and the elderly equally; and both received funding from the United Way and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. In 1965, the YM-YWHA merged with the Neighborhood Centre to form the Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) of Greater Philadelphia.

From 1965 to 1984, the Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) of Greater Philadelphia flourished. During this period of time, new branches were established on the outskirts of Philadelphia, reflecting the movement of the city's Jewish population. In 1975, the new Raymond and Miriam Klein branch was established in Northeast Philadelphia. The former Northeast branch, called the Neighborhood Centre, became the David G. Neuman Senior Center. In 1976, the JYC's Western branch was dedicated as the Kevy K. and Hortense M. Kaiserman branch. The YM-YWHA branch remained at Broad and Pine Streets, as did the Multi-Service Center South branch at Marshall and Porter Streets.

In 1984, the JYC reincorporated as the Jewish Community Centers (JCC) of Greater Philadelphia. In 1985, the YM-YWHA branch was renamed the Gershman Y. That same year, arson damaged the Multi-Service Center South, and, in 1987, the renovated building reopened as the Jacob and Esther Stiffel Senior Center. Organizational changes occurred again in 2000, when the University of the Arts purchased the Gershman Y. The university closed the Y's fitness center, pool, and nursery, and the center transitioned to a community cultural and arts center. A few years later, the organization's two senior centers merged with the Klein Jewish Community Center, and the Neuman Senior Center was closed. In 2009, the board voted to dissolve the JCC umbrella organization due to funding issues. Two years later, the Stiffel Senior Center closed. The Gershman Y, the Kaiserman Jewish Community Center, and the Klein Jewish Community Center remained open as three separate legal entities.

Chronology of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia:
1875 - Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) founded
1885 - Young Women's Union (YWU) established
1918 - YWU reincorporates as the Neighborhood Centre
1920 - Young Women's Hebrew Association (YWHA) founded
1924 - YMHA and YWHA merge to form the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA)
1965 - Neighborhood Centre mergers with YM-YWHA to form the Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) and Greater Philadelphia
1975 - Raymond and Miriam Klein Jewish Community Center founded in Northeast Philadelphia
1976 - Kevy K. and Hortense M. Kaiserman Jewish Community Center dedicated in West Philadelphia
1977 - Northeast Branch (Neighborhood Centre) becomes David G. Neuman Senior Center
1984 - JYC reincorporates as the Jewish Community Centers (JCC) of Greater Philadelphia
1985 - YM-YWHA branch rededicated as the Gershman Y
1987 - Multi-Service Center South officially renamed Jacob and Esther Stiffel Senior Center
2000 - University of the Arts purchases the Gershman Y building
2003 - David G. Neuman Senior Center merges with Klein branch
2009 - JCCs legally dissolve and the Gershman Y, Klein JCC, and Kaiserman JCC become separate entities
2011- Jacob and Esther Stiffel Senior Center closes

This collection contains administrative records of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia (JCC) and its predecessor organizations, dating from 1875 to 1990. Materials include committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports from the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA), Neighborhood Centre, Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) of Greater Philadelphia, and the JCC.

The collection is arranged into 4 series as follows:

Series 1: Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA) records, 1875-1965, undated
Series 2: Neighborhood Centre records, 1896-1965
Series 3: Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) of Greater Philadelphia records, 1963-1984, undated
Series 4: Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia records, 1984-1990

Donated by the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia in 1999. Collection previously administered by the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center, acquired by Temple in June 2009.

Collection processed and finding aid prepared in July 2015 by Jenna Marrone, Project Archivist.

Publisher
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Finding Aid Author
Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
Finding Aid Date
May 2024
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

The Jewish Community Centers of Greater Philadelphia Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Series 1: Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA) records, 1875-1965, undated, contains the meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports of the organization's Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and related committees. This series also includes meeting minutes from annual meetings, as well as from the YM-YWHA's camp program. Materials in this series dated prior to the merger of the YMHA and YWHA in 1924 were created by the YMHA; all subsequent records reflect the merged organization. This series also contains documents related to the organization's merger with the Neighborhood Centre in 1965. This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material, and then chronologically.

75th Anniversary Steering Committee meeting minutes, 1949.
Box 1 Folder 1
85th Anniversary Dinner budget and speech, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 2
Active Men's Branch meeting minutes, 1932-1934.
Box 1 Folder 3
Active Women's Board meeting minutes, 1934.
Box 1 Folder 4
Activities Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1921-1922, 1942-1944.
Box 1 Folder 5
Administrative Committee meeting minutes, 1923, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 6
Adult Jewish Education Committee meeting minutes, 1949-1950.
Box 1 Folder 7
Advisory Board meeting minutes, October 1944.
Box 1 Folder 8
Amusement Committee meeting minutes, 1936-1939.
Box 1 Folder 9
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1927.
Box 20 Folder 1
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1928-1929.
Box 1 Folder 10
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1932-1933.
Box 1 Folder 11
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1934-1935.
Box 1 Folder 12
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1936-1938.
Box 1 Folder 13
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1939-1940.
Box 1 Folder 14
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1952, 1958-1961.
Box 1 Folder 15
Associate-Executive Committee meeting minutes, 1921-1924.
Box 1 Folder 16
Associate Membership Campaign Committee meeting minutes, August 1922.
Box 1 Folder 17
Athletic Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1922-1952.
Box 2 Folder 1
Balbazoo Steering Committee meeting minutes, 1950, undated.
Box 2 Folder 2
Basketball League meeting minutes, 1922-1936, 1950.
Box 2 Folder 3
Board Membership-Nominating Committee meeting minutes, 1952.
Box 2 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1875-September 1887.
Box 2 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, November 1887-February 1899.
Box 2 Folder 6
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, April 1899-May 1906.
Box 3 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1906-May 1910.
Box 3 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1910-May1915.
Box 3 Folder 3
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1915-December 1917.
Box 4 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1918-July 1922.
Box 4 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, September 1922-June 1924.
Box 4 Folder 3
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, July 1924-June 1926.
Box 4 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1926-January 1928.
Box 4 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, February-December 1928.
Box 5 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January-November 1929.
Box 5 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, February-November 1930.
Box 5 Folder 3
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January-April 1931.
Box 5 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1931-May 1932.
Box 5 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1933-May 1937.
Box 5 Folder 6
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January-December 1938.
Box 5 Folder 7
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, March 1939-October 1940.
Box 5 Folder 8
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1941-December 1943.
Box 6 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1944-November 1947.
Box 6 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, February 1948-December 1950.
Box 6 Folder 3
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1951-October 1952.
Box 6 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1953-June 1955.
Box 6 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, September 1955-June 1957.
Box 6 Folder 6
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1957-May 1960.
Box 7 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, September 1960-May 1962.
Box 7 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, September 1962-May 1965.
Box 7 Folder 3
Board Personnel Committee meeting minutes, 1952.
Box 7 Folder 4
Building Committee meeting minutes, 1921-1951.
Box 7 Folder 5
Building Fund Finance Committee meeting minutes and correspondence, 1913, circa 1924.
Box 7 Folder 6
By-laws, constitution, and charter, circa 1875-1880, 1939.
Box 7 Folder 7
Camp Committee meeting minutes, 1924-1947.
Box 7 Folder 8
Camp reports, circa 1961.
Box 7 Folder 9
Camps: Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1948-1956.
Box 7 Folder 10
Camps: Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1957-1965.
Box 8 Folder 1
Camps: Budget and Finance Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1955-1965.
Box 8 Folder 2
Camps: Camp Incorporators meeting minutes and incorporation papers, 1948.
Box 8 Folder 3
Camps: Executive Committee meeting minutes, 1959.
Box 8 Folder 4
Camps: Planning and Building Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1954-1964.
Box 8 Folder 5
Camps: Program and Personnel Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1956-1963.
Box 8 Folder 6
Camps: Scholarship Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1959-1960.
Box 8 Folder 7
Camps: Shareholders meeting minutes, 1949-1962.
Box 8 Folder 8
Counseling and Guidance Committee meeting minutes, 1946.
Box 8 Folder 9
Cultural Committee meeting minutes, 1936, 1951.
Box 8 Folder 10
Day Camp Robinson Committee meeting minutes, 1951.
Box 8 Folder 11
Day Camps Committee meeting minutes, 1952.
Box 8 Folder 12
Debating League meeting minutes, 1922.
Box 8 Folder 13
Educational Committee meeting minutes and programs, circa 1923-1939.
Box 8 Folder 14
Equipment Committee meeting minutes, 1924.
Box 8 Folder 15
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1921-1922.
Box 8 Folder 16
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, November 1931-May 1933.
Box 8 Folder 17
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, May 1933-december 1934.
Box 8 Folder 18
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1935-December 1936.
Box 9 Folder 1
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1937-December 1938.
Box 9 Folder 2
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1939-December 1940.
Box 9 Folder 3
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1944-June 1948.
Box 9 Folder 4
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, July 1951-July 1952.
Box 9 Folder 5
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, June 1957-December 1959.
Box 9 Folder 6
Executive Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, January 1960-April 1965.
Box 9 Folder 7
FDR Forum and Philadelphia Forum on Jewish Affairs meeting minutes, June 1923.
Box 9 Folder 8
Federation of "Y" Clubs Inter-Club Council meeting minutes, 1932-1941.
Box 9 Folder 9
Finance Committee meeting minutes, circa 1922-1945.
Box 9 Folder 10
Financial reports, 1900.
Box 20 Folder 2
Health Club and Physical Education Committee meeting minutes, 1952-1953.
Box 9 Folder 11
House Committee meeting minutes, 1951.
Box 10 Folder 1
Income and Concessions Committee report, undated.
Box 10 Folder 2
Irvin L. Stone Forum Committee meeting minutes, 19329.
Box 10 Folder 3
Jewish Activities Committee meeting minutes, 1938-1939, 1947.
Box 10 Folder 4
Jewish Education and Program Committee meeting minutes, 1951.
Box 10 Folder 5
Junior and Intermediate Activities Committee meeting minutes, 1951.
Box 10 Folder 6
Literary Committee meeting minutes, May 1923.
Box 10 Folder 7
Louis Parris Dinner Committee meeting minutes, 1951.
Box 10 Folder 8
Membership Committee letter, August 1905.
Box 10 Folder 9
Merger documents: meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1962-1964.
Box 10 Folder 10
Merger documents: meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1964-1965.
Box 10 Folder 11
Music Committee memorandum, June 1922.
Box 10 Folder 12
Officers meeting minutes, 1960-1961.
Box 10 Folder 13
Philadelphia Army and Navy Committee of the Jewish Welfare Board: meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1940-1947.
Box 10 Folder 14
Personnel Committee meeting minutes, 1937-1951.
Box 10 Folder 15
Prospects Committee meeting minutes, September 1921.
Box 10 Folder 16
Public Relations Committee meeting minutes, circa 1921, 1951-1952.
Box 10 Folder 17
Religious Committee meeting minutes, 1934-1952.
Box 10 Folder 18
Schedule Committee report, undated.
Box 10 Folder 19
Senior Social Services Committee meeting minutes, 1951-1952.
Box 10 Folder 20
Site Committee meeting minutes, 1921-1922.
Box 10 Folder 21
Speakers Committee meeting minutes, 1921.
Box 10 Folder 22
Special committees meeting minutes, 1946-1952, undated.
Box 10 Folder 23
Special Donations Committee meeting minutes, April 1922.
Box 10 Folder 24
"Study of the Social and Recreational Resources of the Jewish Community of Philadelphia, with Recommendations for a Program of Activities for the YM-YWHA", March 1924.
Box 10 Folder 25
Study on Disciplinary Problems, January 1933.
Box 10 Folder 26
United YMHA of Pennsylvania convention meeting minutes, 1913-1924.
Box 11 Folder 1
Weightlifting Club meeting minutes, March 1937.
Box 11 Folder 2
Young People's Campaign Committee meeting minutes, 1921.
Box 11 Folder 3

Scope and Contents

Series 2: Neighborhood Centre records, 1896-1965, contains materials created by the Neighborhood Centre prior to its merger with the YM-YWHA. Materials include committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, as well as annual meeting minutes and reports. Materials that predate the Neighborhood Centre's incorporation in 1918 can be attributed to the Young Women's Union (YWU), the Neighborhood Centre's predecessor organization. This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material, and then chronologically.

Annual reports and meeting minutes, 1921-1922, 1957-1964.
Box 11 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1913-1925.
Box 11 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1931-1938.
Box 11 Folder 6
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1939-1959.
Box 11 Folder 7
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1960-1965.
Box 11 Folder 8
Charter, young Women's Union (copy), 1896.
Box 20 Folder 3
Executive Committee meeting minutes, circa 1922-1946.
Box 11 Folder 9
General Meeting minutes, September-November 1956.
Box 11 Folder 10
Officers meeting minutes, 1955, 1959.
Box 11 Folder 11
Steering Committee meeting minutes, 1940, 1954.
Box 11 Folder 12

Scope and Contents

Series 3: Jewish Ys and Centers (JYC) of Greater Philadelphia records, 1963-1984, undated, contains Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes, annual meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports. This series also includes Board of Directors meeting minutes from the various branches of the Jewish Ys and Centers, as well as monthly membership statistics for each branch. This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material, and then chronologically.

Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1967-1969.
Box 11 Folder 13
Annual Meeting minutes and reports, 1970-1977.
Box 11 Folder 14
Associated Camping Services: Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1976-1983.
Box 11 Folder 15
Attendance and participation statistics, all branches, 1971-1975.
Box 11 Folder 16
Board of Directors and executive committee minutes, October 1965-May 1969.
Box 12 Folder 1
Board of Directors and executive committee minutes, June 1969-May 1973.
Box 12 Folder 2
Board of Directors and executive committee minutes, June 1973-May 1977.
Box 13 Folder 1
Board of Directors and executive committee minutes, June 1977-May 1980.
Box 13 Folder 2
Board of Directors and executive committee minutes, June 1980-May 1984.
Box 14 Folder 1
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1965-1966.
Box 14 Folder 2
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1967-1969.
Box 14 Folder 3
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1970-1972.
Box 14 Folder 4
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1973-1975.
Box 14 Folder 5
Board of Directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1976-1978.
Box 15 Folder 1
Branch Presidents and Department Chairmen meeting minutes, 1971-1974.
Box 15 Folder 2
Branches: Northeast (Klein) Board of Directors meeting minutes and reports, 1975-1978.
Box 15 Folder 3
Branches: Northeast (Neighborhood Centre) Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1966-1971.
Box 15 Folder 4
Branches: South Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1969-1971.
Box 15 Folder 5
Branches: Western Board of Directors meeting minutes and reports, 1967-1974.
Box 15 Folder 6
Branches: YM-YWHA Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1966-1968.
Box 15 Folder 7
Branches: YM-YWHA Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1969-1970.
Box 15 Folder 8
Branches: YM-YWHA Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1971-1974.
Box 15 Folder 9
Branches: YM-YWHA Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1975-1978.
Box 16 Folder 1
Branches: YM-YWHA committees meeting minutes, 1968-1970.
Box 16 Folder 2
By-laws, circa 1969.
Box 16 Folder 3
Camps: Board of Directors and committees meeting minutes, reports, and correspondence, 1972-1978.
Box 16 Folder 4
Camps: Board of Directors and committees meeting minutes, reports, and correspondence, 1966-1971.
Box 16 Folder 5
Committee for remodeling of YM-YWHA branch building report, November 1967.
Box 16 Folder 6
Executive Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1966-1977.
Box 16 Folder 7
Incorporation papers, 1973.
Box 20 Folder 4
Membership statistics: all branches, 1967-1970.
Box 16 Folder 8
Membership statistics: all branches, 1971-1975.
Box 17 Folder 1
Membership statistics: Main Line branch, 1967-1971.
Box 17 Folder 2
Membership statistics: Neighborhood Centre (Northeast), 1964-1974.
Box 17 Folder 3
Membership statistics: Neighborhood Centre (Northeast), 1964-1975.
Box 17 Folder 4
Membership statistics: Northwest Branch, 1964-1969.
Box 17 Folder 5
Membership statistics: Northwest Branch, 1970-1974.
Box 17 Folder 6
Membership statistics: South Branch, 1964-1968.
Box 17 Folder 7
Membership statistics: South Branch, 1969-1975.
Box 18 Folder 1
Membership statistics: YM-YWHA branch, 1965-1969.
Box 18 Folder 2
Membership statistics: YM-YWHA branch, 1970-1975.
Box 18 Folder 3
Personnel Committee meeting minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1973-1984.
Box 18 Folder 4
Philadelphia Armed Services Council - USO - Jewish Welfare Board: Board of Directors and committee meeting minutes, 1963-1972.
Box 18 Folder 5
Sabbath program plan, undated.
Box 18 Folder 6
Special meeting regarding JYC role in urban affairs, meeting minutes, December 1968.
Box 18 Folder 7
Vacation Bureau Board of Directors and committee meeting minutes, 1972-1976.
Box 18 Folder 8

Scope and Contents

Series 4: Jewish Community Centers (JCC) of Greater Philadelphia records, 1984-1990, contains Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes, and reports. This series is arranged alphabetically by type of material, and then chronologically.

Associated Camping Services: Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1984-1986.
Box 18 Folder 9
Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes, June 1984-May 1987.
Box 19 Folder 1
Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes, June 1987-May 1990.
Box 19 Folder 2
By-laws, 1988.
Box 19 Folder 3
Personnel Committee meeting minutes and reports, 1987-1990.
Box 19 Folder 4

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