United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York collection (I-433)
United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York has been a central force for communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community since 1917. More than 60,000 donors pool their resources to help people in need, inspire a passion for Jewish life and learning, and strengthen Jewish communities around the world. Projects relate to health and human services, aging and vulnerable populations, Jewish education, and disaster relief. United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York is the organization that resulted after three mergers over the course of the 20th century. Relevant materials include administrative documents regarding the Lexington School for the Deaf, Society for the Welfare of the Jewish Deaf, Hebrew Association for the Deaf, and New York School for the Deaf.
Temple of Beth Solomon of the Deaf (Arleta, CA) collection (I-406)
In July 1947, the Hollywood Hebrew Society of the Deaf was founded and later its name was changed to the Hebrew Association of the Deaf of Los Angeles (HAD). Like other HAD's, it focused on social programs with very little religious content. By the late 1950's many HAD members longed for a synagogue in which they could worship and study, as well as socialize. With the help of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) and the advice of Rabbi Solomon Kleinman, a synagogue of, not for, deaf Jews was born.This collection is comprised of event fliers, an organizational history, and miscellaneous materials concerning religious services. The collection also contains the following publications: The Ben Zukor Community Program Quarterly (1984), and Congregation News (1976-1996, 2006)
Records of the Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland (RG 54)
The earliest attempt to organize the deaf-mute population in Poland took place in 1916 in Warsaw, with the founding of the Deaf-Mute Society; (The Union). Other local deaf-mute societies followed in Krakow and Lwow. In 1930, industrialist Bogumil Liban founded wiazek Zydowskich Gluchoniemych (Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland), with its seat in Krakow. More local branches were established in Lodz, Wilno and Bialystok. In 1936, the Association was renamed golny Zwiazek Zydowskich Gluchoniemych oraz Towarzystw Sportowych (General Association of Jewish Deaf-Mute Societies and Sports Clubs). The collection contains predominantly correspondence of the Association's Central Committee in Krakow with its branches in Warsaw, Lodz, Wilno, and Lublin.Topics include organizational matters of the Association, the economic situation of the deaf-mutes, special education, and contacts with Jewish deaf-mute societies in other countries.
Ursula Meseritz Elgart family collection (MF 1501)
Ursula Daniela Meseritz was born in 1919 in Hamburg, Germany as the second of two daughters of Fritz Meseritz (1876-1942) and Olga née Chanage (1890-1942). Ursula attended the girls’ school Ria Wirth in Hamburg and then took courses in home economics at the Taubstummen-Anstalt Berlin-Weissensee, an institution for deaf and deaf-mute Jewish children. This collection reflects the experiences of Ursula Elgart née Meseritz (1919-2003) from her youth in Hamburg and Berlin through her immigration in 1938 until eventually settling in California.
Hoexter Family Collection (AR 2068)
Richard Höxter was a senior teacher at "Die Israelitische Taubstummenstalt für Deutschland" in Berlin, then director of the School for the Deaf in Jerusalem from 1932 to his death in 1941. Collection includs newspaper excerpts (1916-1956) regarding the work of Richard Höxter, essays on "Die Israelitische Taubstummenstalt für Deutschland", letter by Hedwig Höxter (1963).
Grace Polk Family Collection addenda (AR 25489)
Harry Polk (originally Hans Günther Pollak) was born on May 3, 1894 in Vienna, Austria.In 1936, he married Elizabeth Sofer. Elizabeth Sofer was born in Vienna on March 23, 1902 to parents Julius Sofer (1871-1957) and Katharina Skalla Sofer (1864-1944). She worked for her father at the Waldes Koh-i-noor Company in Vienna. Elizabeth was a dancer and a member of several modern dance companies. Like her husband, she first worked for the Waldes branch in New York. In 1957, she began to work as a dance therapist at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City, and in 1958 co-founded the National Dance Teacher's Guild.
Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry Records (I-530)
Visual Recording: Talking Hands, Shekhet, community for the deaf and hard of hearing, Minsk, Belarus. Material can be accessed as a digitized file.
American ORT Federation (RG 380)
Established in 1922 by Leon Bramson and Aron Syngalowski as the national organization of the ORT in the U.S. ORT, which was established in Russia in 1880, is an international Jewish organization for vocational training. In the U.S., ORT stands for Organization for Rehabilitation through Training. The American Ort Federation established a number of vocational schools in the U.S.