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Lillian Goldman Reading Room
Ackman and Ziff Family Genealogy Institute
The Hadassah Archives on Long-term Deposit at the American Jewish Historical Society (I-578) documents the professional, executive, and community activities of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America. Founded in 1912, the organization engaged hundreds of thousands of American Jewish women in the Zionist project.
The collection includes extensive records of Hadassah's social welfare projects in Palestine and later Israel. The Files of Youth Aliyah (RG 1) document Hadassah's work with multiple international organizations to rescue Jewish children from continental Europe to Palestine from 1933-1945. The collection also documents Hadassah's involvement with Youth Aliyah since 1946 in providing residential, educational, vocational, rehabilitative and therapeutic care for displaced and at-risk youth from around the world. The Hadassah Medical Organization Papers (RG 2) document Hadassah's work in providing health care resources in Palestine since 1918. The activities documented revolved around the development of the Hadassah Hospital, health centers, dental centers, occupational and rehabilitative services, medical, nursing, dental and pharmacy schools as well as myriad educative and preventive projects, especially those aimed at infant care. The documents also reflect the history of the Palestine and the establishment of the State of Israel from a unique perspective. Similar documents are found in Zionist Political History (RG 4). Other documented projects included Hadassah Council in Israel and the Hadassah Youth Services Records (RG 5) and Young Judaea (RG 8).
Administrative records document the organization's governance, operations, and functions (RG 12, RG 15). The collection also includes the papers of Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold, as well as the organization's national presidents, executive directors (RG 13), and other important individuals (RG 7). Additional materials also document Hadassah's organizational activity in the United States, such as annual and midwinter conventions (RG 3) and the dozens of active local chapters from all over the United States (RG 24). Hadassah maintained an active publishing schedule, and the records include hundreds of published newsletters, flyers, and magazines (RG 17). Other materials include thousands of photographs and extensive audiovisual material (RG 18), as well as hundreds of artifacts (RG 22).
The collection contains many different types of records, such as correspondence, reports, minutes, publicity and fund-raising related materials, newspaper clippings and articles, printed material, personal accounts, financial records, statistical reports, photographs, audio recordings, and artifacts.
The Hadassah organization maintains all intellectual property rights for this collection; any publication or other usage must be cleared by Hadassah. For more information, please contact AJHS' Chair of Collections and Engagement at mmeyers@ajhs.org.
The Hadassah Records are organized into the following record groups and series:
Youth Aliyah Records (I-578/RG 1)
The Youth Aliyah Records in the Hadassah Archives document Hadassah's work with multiple international organizations to rescue Jewish children from continental Europe to Palestine from 1933-1945. The collection also documents Hadassah's involvement with Youth Aliyah since 1946 in providing residential, educational, vocational, rehabilitative and therapeutic care for displaced and at-risk youth from around the world.
Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) Records (I-578/RG 2)
The Hadassah Medical Organization Records in the Hadassah Archives document Hadassah's work in providing health care resources in Palestine/Israel since 1918. The activities documented revolve around the development of the Hadassah Hospital; health centers; dental centers; occupational and rehabilitative services; medical, nursing, dental, and pharmacy schools; as well as numerous educative and preventive projects, especially those aimed at infant care. The documents also reflect the history of the Yishuv (Jewish settlement in Palestine) and the establishment of the State of Israel. The record group contains articles, clippings, correspondence, financial records, fundraising material, minutes, personal accounts, press releases, publicity material, reports, and statistical reports.
Administrative and Subject Files, 1918-2000
Health Care Facilities, circa 1918-2009
Medical Departments, Services, Programs, and Campaigns, 1921-2009
Medical School, 1937-1991
Nursing and Nursing School, 1920-2004
People, 1919-2011
Reports, Publications, Printed Ephemera, and Clippings, 1918-2009
Annual and Midwinter National Conventions (I-578/RG 3)
The Annual and Mid-Winter National Conventions Records document the proceedings and outcomes of the conventions and conferences attended by Hadassah’s National Board as well as by convention delegates from the various regions of Hadassah. The conventions in particular are where local and regional leaders meet with each other and the National Board and learn about Hadassah’s various projects and committees. This record group also includes annual reports from 1926-2001.
Annual Conventions, 1914-2011
Mid-Winter National Board Conferences, 1945-2010
Special Materials, 1926-2009
Zionist Political History (I-578/RG 4)
The material in this record group was culled from Hadassah's Central Files in Israel in the early 1980s to document Hadassah's role in Zionist history. Originally formed from a Zionist women's study group, the first Hadassah chapter in New York had a strong relationship with the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA; then known as the Federation of American Zionists). The material in this record group documents Hadassah's relationship to the ZOA and to other Zionist organizations in the United States, Europe, and Palestine/Israel, particularly in the years leading up to Israeli statehood in 1948. Other subjects addressed in this record group include the founding of Hadassah; World War II, particularly relating to Jewish emigration and refugees; the founding of the United Nations and the debate over recognition of a Jewish state; the partition of Palestine; and Arab-Jewish relations. Included are articles, clippings, convention resolutions, correspondence, diary extracts, memorandums, minutes, press releases, printed ephemera, publications, reports, and speeches.
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, 1912-1991
Other Organizations, Governments, Committees, and Conferences, 1923-1979
People, 1924-1992
Publications, Printed Ephemera, and Writings, 1894-2003
Hadassah Council in Israel and the Hadassah Youth Services Records (I-578/RG 5)
This record group contains meeting minutes, correspondence and reports of the Hadassah Council in Israel (originally the Hadassah Emergency Services and the Hadassah Council in Palestine), the Hadassah Youth Services (originally the Palestine Council of Hadassah) and the Hadassah Youth Services (HYS) successor organizations, Hadassah Vocational Education Services (HVES) and Hadassah Israel Education Services (HIES). The records represent the activities of Hadassah's representatives in Palestine/Israel, from 1927 to the 1990s. The Hadassah Youth Services focused on providing services to underserved youth in Palestine/Israel, most notably with their school luncheon and Guggenheimer playground programs. After HYS changed its working name to HVES in 1952, it began to focus on vocational education projects in Israel. Legally, however, the name of the organization in Israel remained Hadassah Youth Services. The Hadassah Council in Israel acted as an advisor and liaison between Hadassah's American offices and Hadassah's Israel projects, including the Hadassah Medical Organization, Youth Aliyah, and Hadassah Youth Services.
Hadassah Emergency Committee/Hadassah Council in Palestine/Hadassah Council in Israel, 1940-2005
Palestine Council of Hadassah/Hadassah Youth Services, 1927-1971
Hadassah Vocational Education Services/Hadassah Israel Education Services, 1939-2007
This record group contains personal papers and special collections documenting individuals, both Hadassah members and non-Hadassah members, who were important to Hadassah. Much of the material forming the collections in this record group came from the administrative files of the national office of Hadassah, though some of the material was donated to Hadassah. Key individuals represented within this record group include Hadassah national board members Anna Tulin Elyachar, Bertha S. Schoolman, and Denise Tourover Ezekiel, as well as Jesse Zel Lurie who served as the first professional editor of Hadassah Magazine (originally Hadassah Newsletter) from 1947 to 1980.
Prominent Hadassah Executives and Volunteers, 1915-2001:
Lillian Schwartz Brodkey Papers, 1938-1956
Anna Tulin Elyachar Papers, 1915-2001
Martha Grossman Papers, 1919-1955
Bertha Schoolman Papers, 1941-1980
Persons of Influence on Hadassah, 1910-2003:
Collection on Louis D. Brandeis, 1915-1943, 1991
Jesse Zel Lurie Papers, 1946-2003
Collection on Golda Meir, 1953-1984
Abraham Tulin Papers, 1910-1989
Young Judaea (I-578/RG 8)
Young Judaea is the oldest Zionist youth organization in the United States, established as a national organization in 1909 by the Federation of American Zionists. It was supported by Hadassah, including direct financial sponsorship from 1967-2011. The major aims of Young Judaea throughout its history have been to advance the cause of Zionism, to further the mental, moral, and physical development of Jewish youth, and to promote Jewish culture and ideals in accordance with Jewish traditions. Young Judaea has remained non-partisan and non-denominational, embracing and recruiting Jewish youth from all backgrounds.
Administrative and Chairman's Files, 1911-2004
Programs, Publications, Projects, and Events, 1916-2004, 2006
Camps and Clubs, 1924, 1933-2002, 2005-2006
Jewish National Fund Records (I-578/RG 9)
The Jewish National Fund records reflect the non-profit organization’s afforestation efforts in Israel in funding partnership with Hadassah. Included in this collection are personnel records, membership lists, and convention summaries, as well as correspondence, project documentation, and publications such as press releases, and magazines.
Administrative Records, 1930-2004
Correspondence, 1933-1977
Projects, 1923-2000
Circulated and Published Materials, 1946-2002
Name Files (I-578/RG 10)
The Name File record group is a collection of documents representing various individuals, corporations, and non-profit groups who were affiliated with Hadassah. These files were originally arranged alphabetically by the organization's central filing department as a ready reference source on leaders, doctors, speakers, donors, and religious figures associated with Hadassah's many projects. This collection includes correspondence, clippings, newsletters, and other ephemeral documents.
Name Files A-Z, 1918-2007
Name Files J-Z, 1945-1948 and 1947-1948
Subject Files (I-578/RG 11)
The Hadassah subject file record group is a collection of files of organizations, events, and genre subjects originally arranged alphabetically by Hadassah’s central filing department. These files served and serve as a ready reference source that represents both the direct and indirect involvement of Hadassah in both national and international affairs. This collection includes correspondence, clippings, newsletters, photographs, and other ephemeral documents.
The Hadassah subject files are arranged alphabetically.
Hadassah Corporate Governance and Committees Records (I-578/RG 12)
This record group documents the work of the Hadassah national board through board and executive committee meeting minutes, board member subject files, correspondence and reports, as well as minutes and materials generated by Hadassah ad-hoc and non-Executive committees, from 1912-2012. This record group also includes files from milestone anniversaries of Hadassah and legal documents pertaining to its projects.
National Board, 1912-2012
Anniversaries, 1937-2011
Legal, 1921-2010
Committees, 1921-1996
Executive Functions (I-578/RG 13)
This record group includes documents created and maintained by the Office of the President, the Office of the Executive Director and the Chair of the Division Coordinators/Directors Committee. Prominent is the Henrietta Szold series, containing correspondence by and to Szold as well as printed materials written by and about her. The files in this record group were created by a national president or executive director, or for their use, or maintained in their office during their years in office. Included are correspondence, minutes, memos, publications, reports and subject files on topics with which these individuals were involved.
Hadassah Executive Directors, 1940-2010
Hadassah National Presidents, undated, 1875, 1877-2009, 2011, 2015
Hadassah Functions and Operations Records (I-578/RG 15)
Hadassah Functions and Operations Records represent the bulk of aid and services provided to Hadassah's membership, from the 1920s to 2011. Materials found in the record group include correspondence, clippings, press releases, manuals and kits for chapters and members to implement programming and chapter structure, fundraising campaigns, scripts, study guides, programming for local and national meetings, biographical files, and training documentation. Departments documented in the record group include Public Affairs, Education, Women's Health, American Affairs, Zionist and International Affairs, Speakers Bureau, Fundraising, Program, Organization, Outreach and Tourism Departments. Materials related to the general administration of Hadassah are also in the record group; these materials include research and development of projects, archives department correspondence and other materials, Hadassah House administration, and strategic planning. The record group also documents Hadassah's efforts to expand membership outside of the United States, by the development of Hadassah International.
Executive and Administration, 1948-2011
Marketing and Communications, 1928-2010
Education and Advocacy, 1934-2010
Fundraising, 1949-2010
Membership and Community Development, 1920-2011
Hadassah International, 1982-2009
Other Departments, 1944-2005
Printed Materials and Publications (I-578/RG 17)
This record group consists of printed materials and publications, produced by Hadassah projects and departments, Young Judaea, and other Zionist organizations from 1911-2011. Materials in the record group include periodicals, newsletters, greeting cards, certificates, invitations, brochures, pamphlets, catalogs, and other professionally produced printed materials. Besides Young Judaea, projects documented include Hadassah Magazine, the Hadassah Medical Organization, Youth Aliyah, the Jewish National Fund, and Hadassah Israel Education Services.
Printed Materials, 1913-2010
Publications, 1911-2011
Cookbooks, 1928-2006
Photographs (RG 18)
The materials in this record group document the entirety of Hadassah’s history and work in Israel and the United States in photographs—prints, slides, glass lantern plates, and digital images. The images in this record group have been arranged into series that largely reflect and refer to other specific record groups within the Hadassah Archives. Descriptions have been created which discuss the content, volume and time frame of each series.
Youth Aliyah, 1920s-2003 (bulk 1940s-1970s)
Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO), 1913-2010 (bulk 1920-1990)
Conventions, 1927-2005
Zionist Political History, 1930s-1991
Hadassah Israel Education Services (HIES), undated, 1920s-2001
Jewish National Fund (JNF), undated, 1920s-1998
Youth Activities, undated, 1917-2000s
Chapters, undated, 1904-2009
People, undated, 1860-2000s
Subjects, undated, 1913-2001
Operations and Functions, undated, 1897-2000s
Negatives, undated, 1940s-1980
Microforms (I-578/RG 19)
The Hadassah Microfilm Collection consists of 16mm and 35mm reels containing images of various Hadassah publications, administrative documents, and personal archival material. Content includes on-site photographs, membership and organizational documents, regional chapter lists and histories, items relating to Hadassah’s Zionist political history, and a near-complete run of Hadassah Newsletter/Magazine. Other than the newsletter/magazine run, all images are unique within the collection.
Administration, 1914-2002
Personal papers, 1915-1971
Publications, 1914-2009
Negatives, 1950-1973
Oral Histories (I-578/RG 20)
The Hadassah Oral Histories consist of audio cassette recordings and typed transcripts of oral history interviews as well as related correspondence and research documents. Interviewees include notable members of Hadassah’s National Board, the Honorary Council, Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO), Youth Aliyah, Machon Szold, and Hebrew University, among others. Discussions cover such topics as Hadassah roles and achievements, Jewish upbringings, education, and family.
Anna Tulin Elyachar Interviews, 1976-2002
Miscellaneous Interviews, 1962-1995
Related Documentation, 1927-1992
Architectural Records (I-578/RG 21)
The materials in the record group mostly consist of reproductions of building plans of the Hadassah hospitals on Mount Scopus and Ein Kerem from the 1920s to the 2000s. Other properties documented in the record group include buildings managed by Youth Aliyah, Hadassah Youth Services, Young Judaea, Hadassah Israel Education Services, the National Office, and the Hadassah Medical Organization. These records document a core Hadassah function, the building of medical and social service facilities in Palestine/Israel.
Architectural Plans, 1927-2007
Other Materials, 1956-2009
Artifacts and Memorabilia (I-578/RG 22)
This record group contains three-dimensional objects and printed materials that relate to the history of Hadassah. A bulk of this record group consists of promotional and commemorative objects and awards created by Hadassah for its Annual and Midwinter National Conventions, and for Young Judaea events. Examples of such items include t-shirts, hats, bags, buttons, stationery and keychains. Artifacts created by local Hadassah chapters and regions, as well as awards received by local and national Hadassah leaders from other organizations, are also included. Of a particular interest is the bronze death mask of Henrietta Szold. Please note that artifacts from this record group do not circulate. For more information, please email inquiries@cjh.org.
Collection Management (I-578/RG 23)
This record group documents the creation, management, and use of the Hadassah Archives and provides valuable contextual information for researchers, current managers, and future managers of the Hadassah Archives. As an organization, Hadassah created active records of business that were housed in its Central Files department. In the 1950s, Hadassah began the process of creating an official archives, precipitated by a project to locate and compile sources for a biography of Hadassah founder, Henrietta Szold, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth. This record group documents three specific periods of custodianship—the 1980s, 1996-2011, and 2015-2016—and the various archivists who managed and shaped the archives during those years. RG 23 includes born digital, digitized, and paper material. Due to privacy rights, all born-digital material in RG 23 is restricted.
Early Collection Management
Collection Management under Hadassah Archivist Susan Woodland
Center for Jewish History Archival Services Collection Management
Books
Chapters, Regions, Co-ops and Junior Hadassah (I-578/RG 24)
This record group contains materials related to the local units of Hadassah—groups, chapters, regions, and co-ops—as well as Junior Hadassah, a youth organization that functioned as a group within the Hadassah Chapter structure. The record group documents over one hundred years of Hadassah’s growth, and illuminates a century of American Jewish communal life, particularly that of Jewish women, across the United States. The record group reflects the formation, administration and activities of the individual groups, chapters, co-ops and regions, and contains information on local events and programs organized around fundraising, Zionism, Jewish heritage, religion and holidays celebration, the study of Hebrew and Yiddish, women's issues, fashion, health, technology and many other topics.
Chapters, 1902-2014
Regions, 1910-2012
Co-ops, 1980-2002
Junior Hadassah, 1916-2006, 2009
Audio-Visual Materials (I-578/RG 25)
This record group is made up of mostly audio and moving images materials, including ¼-inch open audio reels, 16mm film, filmstrips, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, LPs, 3.5 inch floppy disks, and other media, dating from the 1920s up to 2010. The films and audio recordings document Hadassah's efforts to publicize themselves to their members and those outside of Hadassah, by raising awareness of their history, fundraising efforts, and projects in United States and Israel, especially the Hadassah Medical Organization and Youth Aliyah projects and programs. Hadassah also used recordings to document important proceedings, including departmental and board meetings, Midwinter Conferences, and National Conventions. This collection contains audiovisual or electronic media that requires special equipment to access. Please notify reference staff at inquiries@cjh.org at least 24 hours in advance of needing access.
Audio Reels, 1952-1989
Audiocassettes, 1963-2007
LP Records, 1940s-1978
Film Reels, 1946-1963
Filmstrips, 1949-1986
VHS, 1984-2007
CDs, 1920s-1945, 1989-2010
DVDs, 1937-1966, 2004-2010
Diskettes, 1980s-1990s
Other Media, 1973-2003
Related Papers, 1950-2006