Call Number:

SCRC 82

Repository:

Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center

Extent:

• 5.62 linear feet (11 boxes)
• 33.2 gigabytes

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

ORAL HISTORIES: Interview with [interviewee name] by [name of interviewer] on [date of interview], Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Women's Division Oral Histories and Project Files, SCRC 82, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Date:

1972-1999 (inclusive)

Creator:

Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Women's Division

Form:

Administrative records, Audiocassettes, Compact discs, Correspondence, Oral histories, Photocopies, Reports, Sound recordings, VHS (TM), and video recordings (physical artifacts)

Abstract:

In 1972, the Women's Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, then known as the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia, began an oral history project to record the reminiscences of influential members of the Philadelphia Jewish community. The Council's Oral History Project Committee initially interviewed elderly members of the community and particularly sought out those who served in leadership positions for the Federation. The oral histories were intended for use during the Federation's 75th Anniversary programming in 1976, as well as for preservation in the community archives. The Committee broadened its search for interview candidates in the late 1970s and 1980s and included younger people who were active in other Philadelphia-based Jewish community organizations. In 1982, the Women's Council merged with the Federation Allied Jewish Appeal Women's Division to form the Women's Leadership Board. Oral history interviews continued to be conducted by members of the Women's Leadership Board until the early 1990s, when the Women's Leadership Board became part of the Women's Division. Interviews continued under the Women's Division until the late 1990s.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Women's Division Oral Histories and Project Files contains interviews with one hundred and fifty members of the Philadelphia Jewish community. Topics discussed in the oral history interviews include Philadelphia neighborhoods, Jewish identity, World War II, synagogues, professional life, and community organizations. Audio formats of the interviews include audiocassette tapes, CD, and digital WAV files. Most oral history interviews include transcripts or time stamp interview summaries. This collection also includes administrative files created over the course of the project.