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Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia Records

Notifications

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

Call Number:
SCRC 4
Repository:
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Extent:
1.46 linear feet (4 boxes)
Language:
English, Hebrew, and Yiddish
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia Records, SCRC 4, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1942-1976 (inclusive)
Creator:
Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia
Form:
Bylaws (administrative records), Clippings, Correspondence, Minutes (administrative records), Phonograph records, Photographs, and Sound recordings
Abstract:

The Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia were established in 1946 by Rabbi Chaim U. Lipschitz for the purposes of operating all day Hebrew schools for training and instruction in Orthodox Jewish traditions and secular studies. The name Beth Jacob was designated in memory of the network of schools in Warsaw, Poland, of the same name that provided traditional Jewish studies and industrial training for girls in the post-WWI era. The original Beth Jacob School in Philadelphia, located at 900 N. 7th consisted of 12 pupils enrolled in kindergarten and 1st grade. Within a decade, the single school had relocated to South Philadelphia and housed a nursery school, kindergarten, and elementary classes with upper grades and a High School for Girls held at the school's annex in Strawberry Mansion. Beth Jacob expanded to include satellite branches in the Oxford Circle and Germantown neighborhoods to accommodate the migrating Jewish population. Beth Jacob Schools, initially funded by voluntary contributions, operated through fundraising efforts in the Jewish community and government subsidies, supplemented by allocations from the Allied Jewish Appeal and subsequently the Federation of Jewish Agencies. The Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia ceased operation circa 1986.

The collection includes correspondence, Board of Directors meeting minutes, financial documentation, photographs, yearbooks, and other printed material related to school activities and events. The bulk of the collection spans the years Rabbi Aaron Popack served as Executive Director from 1953 to 1974. The collection contains limited documentation for the earliest and latest years of operation, in particular circumstances relating to the close of the schools.

The collection is arranged into 5 series as follows:

Series 1: Board of Directors, 1952-1974, undated
Series 2: Financial records, 1942-1972, undated
Series 3: Day camp, 1968-1972, undated
Series 4: Subject files, 1949-1976, undated
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1950-1973, undated

Donated by Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia in 1976 and 1980. Collection previously administered by the Philadelphia Jewish Archives Center, acquired by Temple in June 2009.

Collection processed and finding aid prepared in 1980 by Lindsay B. Nauen. Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in 2013 by Jessica M. Lydon, Project Archivist. Finding aid reformatted and patron and administrative information updated in February 2020.

People
Subject
Place

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
January 2024
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Access to medical authorization and consent forms in Series 3 are restricted for 75 years from date of creation. Restrictions, where applicable, are noted at the file level.

Use Restrictions

The Beth Jacob Schools of Philadelphia Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. The donor has not assigned their rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them 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: Board of Directors, 1952-1974, is arranged alphabetically and consists of the school's bylaws, correspondence, lists of board members, and meeting minutes. The correspondence is primarily outgoing communications to faculty, staff, parents, and related educational institutions. Primary correspondents include Executive Director, Rabbi Aaron Popack, Dean, Rabbi Felix Freifelder, Principal of the Germantown branch, Rabbi Maurice Gross, and President of Beth Jacob Schools, Leonard A. Cohen.

Bylaws, 1967, undated.
Box 1 Folder 1
Correspondence, 1953–1960.
Box 1 Folder 2
Correspondence, September 1960–April 1961.
Box 1 Folder 3
Correspondence, May-June, 1961, 1965–1966.
Box 1 Folder 4
Correspondence, June 1966–1968.
Box 1 Folder 5
Correspondence, 1969–1972, undated.
Box 1 Folder 6
Correspondence to faculty and staff, 1966–1972, undated.
Box 1 Folder 7
Correspondence to parents, 1958–1974, undated.
Box 1 Folder 8
Membership lists, 1959, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 9
Meeting minutes, 1952–1963.
Box 1 Folder 10

Scope and Contents

Series 2: Financial records, 1942-1972, are arranged alphabetically and include auditors' reports, a payroll ledger, title insurance, and school property documents and deeds, miscellaneous financial reports, and donation lists.

Auditor's reports, 1959–1972.
Box 1 Folder 11
Blank forms, undated.
Box 1 Folder 12
Fundraising, 1960–1971.
Box 1 Folder 13
Miscellaneous financial reports, 1952–1960.
Box 1 Folder 14
Payroll ledger, 1949–1950.
Box 2 Folder 1
Property purchase and insurance, 1942–1959, 1970.
Box 2 Folder 2
Talmudical Academy donations, undated.
Box 2 Folder 3
Volunteer assignment book for maintenance campaign, 1962–1963.
Box 2 Folder 4

Scope and Contents

Series 3: Day camp, 1968-1972, is arranged alphabetically and consists primarily of financial agreements and medical authorization and consent forms for the day camp held in the summer of 1971 hosted by Beth Jacob Schools. The medical authorization and consent forms for campers are restricted for 75 years from latest date of the materials.

Correspondence and brochures, 1968–1972, undated.
Box 2 Folder 5
Counselor and camper essays, undated.
Box 2 Folder 6
Financial agreements, A–G, 1971.
Box 2 Folder 7
Financial agreements, H–Y, 1971.
Box 2 Folder 8
Medical authorization forms, 1971.
Box 2 Folder 9
Medical consent forms, 1971.
Box 2 Folder 10
Registration, A–Y, 1971.
Box 3 Folder 1

Scope and Contents

Series 4: Subject files, 1949-1974, are arranged alphabetically by topic and include school newsletters and brochures, commencement programs, newspaper clippings about school events, yearbooks, press releases, and other printed material.

Annual banquet, 1958, 1963–1974.
Box 3 Folder 2
Brochures, 1956, 1960, 1963, undated.
Box 3 Folder 3
Commencement programs, 1956–1968.
Box 3 Folder 4
Enrollment forms, 1968–1971.
Box 3 Folder 5
High School for Girls yearbooks, 1966–1968.
Box 3 Folder 6
LP: "The Girls' Chamber Choir of Beth Jacob School of Phila. presents Chanukah Music,", 1966.
Box 3 Folder 7
Lunch menu, undated.
Box 3 Folder 8
Newspaper clippings, 1963–1976.
Box 3 Folder 9
Parent and staff lists, 1960–1971, undated.
Box 3 Folder 10
Pennsylvania Association of Hebrew Day Schools, 1961, 1968, 1970.
Box 3 Folder 11
Press releases, 1965–1974.
Box 3 Folder 12
School calendar and program notices, 1958–1971.
Box 3 Folder 13
School newsletters, 1957, 1960, 1968, undated.
Box 3 Folder 14
Scrapbook, 1956–1957.
Box 3 Folder 15
Staff handbook draft, 1970.
Box 3 Folder 16
United Hebrew Schools & Yeshivos of Philadelphia, 1949, 1954.
Box 3 Folder 17

Scope and Contents

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1950-1973, are arranged alphabetically and consist of color and black-and-white photographs of school events, formal class portraits, and classroom activities.

Album with class photo of boys grade 1–7, 1970–1971.
Box 3 Folder 18
Annual dinner, 1974, undated.
Box 3 Folder 19
Bernard Levy, undated.
Box 3 Folder 20
Boys doing sit ups at George Friedland Institute, 1960s.
Box 3 Folder 21
Buying and selling of building at 143 W. Walnut Lane, circa 1954, 1971.
Box 3 Folder 22
Children playing basketball, undated.
Box 3 Folder 23
Chanukah celebration, circa 1955.
Box 3 Folder 24
Children playing in sand, undated.
Box 3 Folder 25
Choral group, 1961.
Box 3 Folder 26
Class photograph boys grade 5, 1968–1969.
Box 3 Folder 27
Class photograph boys grade 7, 1968–1969.
Box 4 Folder 1
Class photograph girls grade 5, 1968–1969.
Box 4 Folder 2
Class photograph girls grade 5 and 6, 1970–1971.
Box 4 Folder 3
Class photograph girls grade 7, 1968–1971.
Box 4 Folder 4
Class photograph girls grade 8, 1970–1971.
Box 4 Folder 5
Class photograph girls grade 9, 1970–1971.
Box 4 Folder 6
Class photograph girls grade 10, 1970–1971.
Box 4 Folder 7
Class photograph girls grade 11, 1970–1971.
Box 4 Folder 8
Costumed girls, circa 1950.
Box 4 Folder 9
David Vieth and Susan Strauss, circa 1962.
Box 4 Folder 10
Exterior of George Friedland Institute, undated.
Box 4 Folder 11
First class of high school for girls, 1963 June.
Box 4 Folder 12
Founding meeting of Ladies Auxiliary, 1958.
Box 4 Folder 13
George Friedland tribute dinner, 1960.
Box 4 Folder 14
Graduating class, 1959, 1961.
Box 4 Folder 15
Group meeting, undated.
Box 4 Folder 16
Group with Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits, undated.
Box 4 Folder 17
Harry Golden at annual dinner, 1962.
Box 4 Folder 18
Interior of Walnut Lane building, circa 1950.
Box 4 Folder 19
In-class science experiment, 1960s.
Box 4 Folder 20
Irish Counsel of Philadelphia at annual dinner, undated.
Box 4 Folder 21
Kindergarten class napping at Catherine St. building, circa 1950.
Box 4 Folder 22
Kindergarten class with Torah, undated.
Box 4 Folder 23
Kindergarten graduating class, 1951, 1955.
Box 4 Folder 24
Mikveh ribbon cutting ceremony, circa 1960s.
Box 4 Folder 25
Open air summer class, circa 1968.
Box 4 Folder 26
Passover celebration, undated.
Box 4 Folder 27
Rabbi Aaron Popack, undated.
Box 4 Folder 28
Safety patrol boys, undated.
Box 4 Folder 29
Samuel Daroff receiving award at annual dinner, 1962.
Box 4 Folder 30
Senior graduating class, 1958.
Box 4 Folder 31
Student group photograph, undated.
Box 4 Folder 32
Summer camp, Indian Day, circa 1960.
Box 4 Folder 33
Talent hunt, Rabbi M. Raab with students, 1951.
Box 4 Folder 34
Unidentified group photographs, 1965, 1973, undated.
Box 4 Folder 35

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