Descriptive Summary |
|
| Creator: | Congregation Knesseth Israel (Bound Brook, N.J.) |
| Title: | Congregation Knesseth Israel Records |
| Dates: | 1921-1985 |
| Quantity: | 2.9 cubic feet |
| Abstract: | Constitution and by-laws, undated; congregation minutes, December 1, 1921-May 28, 1964; board of trustees minutes, July 16, 1962-August 1, 1967; financial records, 1943-1967, 1977-1978 and undated; general files, 1954-1981; ad journals, 1944-1985 with gaps; newsletters, 1975-1987; membership lists, 1977-1981 with gaps; programs, 1978 and 1980; books of remembrance, 1977-1983 with gaps; guest books, 1951 and 1977; scrapbook, circa 1955; minutes, November 8, 1921-April 25, 1968, and articles of incorporation, December 8, 1921, of the sisterhood; minutes, July 1963-May 1972, and administrative files, 1965-1976, of the education committee; general files, 1953-1954 and 1962, of the building committee; general files, 1968, of the choir; and correspondence, 1977-1979, reflecting Rabbi Aaron Decter's participation in the Bound Brook Clergy Association. Financial records consist of financial statements, 1952-1953, and balance sheets, 1977-1978; cash books, October 1950-June 1967; a membership account, undated; a rabbinical account, 1943-1949; and a raffle account, 1957. Beginning in 1958 the ad journals include membership directories. |
| Collection No.: | MC 736 |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives |
| Date | Event | |
| 1920 October | First minyan of the founding members is held in a private home. | |
| 1921 | The congregation decides to call itself the Jacob H. Schiff Congregation in honor of a prominent Jewish philanthropist who had recently died. | |
| 1921 | The Jacob Schiff Ladies Social Circle is formed. Lena Gottlieb, the mother of Ruth Kissel (later a prominent member), is elected first president. | |
| 1921-1922 | The first official services are held in the Ivy Hook and Ladder building in Bound Brook, | |
| 1923 November 14 | A motion is made to change the name of the Congregation from Jacob H. Schiff to something else, due to Mrs. Schiff, his widow, expressing "unconcern" toward their solicitation of a donation from her to build a synagogue in her late husband's name. The motion is not acted on , however. | |
| 1923-1924 | Services are held in Congregational Church. | |
| 1925 January | $3,500 is raised by the Jacob Schiff Ladies Social Circle and used as a deposit on property at Mountain Avenue in Bound Brook. | |
| 1925 February 25 | First meeting and service held at the new site, led by Mr. Ratner of New Brunswick (followed in 1930 by Rabbi Tebon). | |
| 1930 | The first Joint Installation of Officers dinner is held. | |
| 1932 | Martin Kissel secures deed to presently owned (as of 1971 information) cemetery plot. | |
| 1939 | The first Bas Mitzvah is held, jointly for Paula Koenigsberg and Flora Greenberg. A Mr. Katz volunteers to pay Hebrew School tuition for any child whose parents are unable to pay, | |
| 1940 | Vandalism of a local Jewish community center prompts Jacob Schiff trustees to purchase special insurance that will protect them in the event of such occurrences. | |
| 1943 | First full-time rabbi, Aaron Sillman, is hired. | |
| 1945 | Rabbi Sillman is released for having been "inexcusably lax in his duties". He is also considered to have a poor singing voice. | |
| 1949 | The Jacob H. Schiff Ladies Social Circle changes its name to the Jacob H. Schiff Women's Division. | |
| 1953 | The Jacob H. Schiff Women's Division changes its name to the Bound Brook Jewish Center, Women's Division. The Congregation adopts two new names: the Bound Brook Jewish Center and Knesseth Israel (the Jacob H. Schiff name being finally dropped). | |
| 1954 | Plans are made and money borrowed for a new building. | |
| 1955 | A dedication ceremony for the new building is held. | |
| 1960 | Affiliation with the conservative· movement (Knesseth Israel having been orthodox until then) and with United Synagogues of America is discussed the Board of Trustees. | |
| 1963 | The Board of Trustees discussed renewal of contract with Rabbi Horowitz, and continues discussion of affiliation with U.S.A. and the conservative movement. Rabbi Horowitz declares he will not stay if the Congregation goes conservative, and the Congregation votes it will not keep Rabbi Horowitz if the congregation affiliates with U.S.A. | |
| 1966 | Rabbi Horowitz' contract terminates and David P. Prince assumes the rabbinate, The Congregation affiliates with U.S.A. and the conservative movement. | |
| 1967 | An entirely new constitution is adopted. [Unfortunately, that constitution cannot be identified in the Congregation CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS series of this collection.] | |
| 1970 | The first Bingo evening is held under the direction of the Men's Club. | |
| 1981 | A dedication ceremony for the new building (also at Mountain Avenue) containing a chapel, youth lounge, rabbi's study and office, etc., is held. |
The records of Congregation Knesseth Israel (originally called the Jacob H, Schiff Congregation), accession 3431, span the years 1921 to 1985 and are fairly equally distributed across the years with the exception of the smaller series.
Prominent series that give the best overview of Congregation Knesseth Israel are MINUTES of the Congregation's regular meetings and MINUTES of the Board of Trustees' meetings that succeeded them, plus MINUTES of the Sisterhood, However, all of these minutes series have·unexplained chronological gaps. Other substantial series are FINANCIAL RECORDS of the Congregation, and the JOURNAL DIRECTORY of the Sisterhood, which in addition to obvious financial or commercial information contain membership and officer lists or directories for years before and after the 1977-1981 period covered by MEMBERSHIP LISTS proper.
The Congregation GENERAL FILE is far from comprehensive~ offering a random sampling of different years of materials relating to what were probably ongoing or longer-term activities, such as 1954 resumes from applicants for the rabbi position (in fact there were quite a few rabbinical searches throughout the years), or insurance policies (there must have been more renewed policies especially covering later additions to the building, but none are included here), The materials found originally in a single binder and broken down by folder heading abruptly begin and end in 1980-1981 when in fact the activities they relate to were of longer duration, i.e. "United Synagogue and Federation" or "General Notices".
The Education Committee subgroup is substantial but in some disarray, its MINUTES containing many supplemental documents whose topics are not directly addressed in apposite meetings' minutes, while the ADMINISTRATIVE FILES contain much of the same type of supplemental information. These MINUTES are, however, strictly chronological. There is the possibility that prior years of minutes existed, reference being made in Congregation MINUTES to the existence of an Education Committee earlier than the 1963- 1972 MINUTES at hand. (For brief monthly Education Committee "reports" prior to these years, see Congregation MINUTES.)
The Congregation BOOKS OF REMEMBRANCE, NEWSLETTERS, and PROGRAMS are limited in size but indications from MINUTES and FINANCIAL RECORDS are that these publications were issued regularly for many years prior and following them.
While Congregation Knesseth Israel did have an active Men's Club, no records generated or collected by that organization are present in this collection.
The Congregation Knesseth Israel records were fairly well organized when received by Rutgers, arid required but little rearrangement. None of the rearrangement decisions made were very significant. Some insurance policies found within a FINANCIAL RECORD Cash Book were shifted to a section of GENERAL FILES that already contained insurance policies. Three Membership Lists (1980, 1981 and undated.) were lifted from the GENERAL FILES area and made to form their own series at a higher position in the records hierarchy. A photograph with Rabbi Aaron Deeter and what appear to be three other clergymen such as might have formed the Bound Brook Clergy Association was shifted to the Rabbi subgroup, having been found between folders elsewhere in the collection,
No Restrictions.
Researchers can facilitate access to related materials in other collections by searching the Rutgers University Libraries' online public catalog and other union catalogs under the following index terms used for organizations and subjects represented in these records.
Congregation Knesseth Israel Records. MC 736. Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.
This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the "containers" (for example, folders, volumes, or cassettes) and their locations in the numbered boxes that comprise the collection. The availability of any digital items from a container is indicated with a hyperlink.
| I. Board of Trustees | |||||||||||
| MINUTES, July 16, 1962 - August 1, 1967 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Typewritten minutes of monthly Board of Trustees meetings, beginning with the newly formed Board's first meeting on July 16, 1962. These minutes take up where regular monthly meetings of 1.the Congregation subgroup leave off. Apart from the independent Board presiding over these meetings, their format and agenda are identical to those of Congregation MINUTES, containing committee reports such as Rabbinical, House, Education, Financial, Membership, Gifts & Memorials and Synagogue Planning. Also included are Treasurer's reports, some of which cover years not documented in FINANCIAL RECORDS of the Congregation subgroup. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | July 16, 1962-April 22, 1963 | |||||||||
| 2 | June 10, 1963-0ctober 6, 1964 | ||||||||||
| 3 | January 5, 1965-July 6, 1965 | ||||||||||
| 4 | August 3, 1965-June 7, 1966 | ||||||||||
| 5 | July 5, 1966-August 1, 1967 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Eugene Stallman, 1966-1967 | ||||||||||
| Recording secretary's file. | |||||||||||
| II. Congregation | |||||||||||
| CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS, undated | |||||||||||
| Summary: Three versions of the Constitution and By-Laws, one of which was photocopied from a document in the Board of Trustees MINUTES folder containing Eugene Stollman's file. The date of the Stoller file (1966-1987) does not appear to correspond to this version of the Constitution. | |||||||||||
| An additional two articles regarding "Funeral Benefits" and "Dues" may be found in a section following the August 7, 1939 Congregation MINUTES. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Constitution, undated | |||||||||
| MINUTES, December 1, 1921 - May 28, 1964 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Minutes from the inception of the Congregation until the first Board of Trustees meetings in 1962. Includes reports by the same committees as in Board of Trustees MINUTES, plus a few Special Congregation Meeting minutes that postdate the 1962 beginning of the Board of Trustees meetings. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 8 | December 1, 192l-October 5, 1936 | |||||||||
| 9 | November 2, 1936-January 8, 1940 | ||||||||||
| 10 | February 5, 1940-January 4, 1943 | ||||||||||
| 11 | February 1, 1943-November 4, 1946 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | December 7, 1948-November 3, 1953 | |||||||||
| 2 | October 22, 1953-June 4, 1957 | ||||||||||
| 3 | August 6, 1957-September 1, 1959 | ||||||||||
| 4 | October 6, 1959-September 27, 1961 | ||||||||||
| 5 | October 3, 1961-May 28, 1964 | ||||||||||
| GUEST BOOKS, 1955, 1971 | |||||||||||
| Summary: Records of attendance at three milestone functions: an inspection tour of the new building in 1955, a 50th anniversary cocktail and a 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance also in 1971. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 6 | "Inspection tour of new building," June 5, 1955 | |||||||||
| 7 | "Golden Anniversary: Cocktail Party, June 5, 1971; Dinner Dance, June 13, 1971," 1971 | ||||||||||
| MEMBERSHIP LISTS, 1977, 1980, 1981 and undated | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Six different membership lists of the full congregation, the undated of which was apparently removed from a Journal Directory and ·also includes Memorials. An additional undated but probably circa 1971 membership list is contained in the Congregation GENERAL FILES folder headed 1150th Anniversary". | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 8 | 1977, 1980, 1981 and undated | |||||||||
| BOOKS OF REMEMBRANCE, 1977, 1979, 1983 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Three memorial booklets listing names of the deceased and of those congregation members who gave donations in their memory. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 9 | 1977, 1979, 1983 | |||||||||
| NEWSLETTERS, 1975-1986 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Four issues of the "Calendar" and three issues of "The Shofar" which presumably succeeded it, containing columns by the rabbi, and the congregation president and reporting news, announcing events, suggesting recipes, and expressing empathy or congratulations. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 10 | 1975-1986 | |||||||||
| PROGRAMS, 1978, 1980 | |||||||||||
| Summary: Two programs announcing events presented by Congregation Knesseth Israel, one a lecture by Israel ambassador to the U.S., Abba Eban, and the other a concert by Molly Picon, and containing biographies of both. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 11 | 1978, 1980 | |||||||||
| GENERAL FILE, 1954-1981 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Unarranged. | |||||||||||
| Summary: A catch-all category of materials generated or gathered by various organizations or persons within the Congregation, such as a collection of resumes for the vacant position of rabbi in 1954, a file of insurance policies, some found originally in the Congregation FINANCIAL RECORDS Cash Book for years 1950-1956, a file of forms and other documents used in preparation for the 50th Anniversary celebration, etc. It should be noted that the following folder hearings were adopted from dividers in the single binder containing them: "General Notices", "Sisterhood", "United Synagogue & Federation", and "Groundbreaking". | |||||||||||
| The "Congregation poster" presumably advertising for membership in Congregation Knesseth Israel, is dated "[circa 1970) on the basis of Rabbi Prince's tenure during that period. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 12 | [Rabbinical Search], 1954 | |||||||||
| 13 | [Insurance Policies], 1969-1970 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | [Raffle Correspondence], 1957 | |||||||||
| 2 | "Appraisal of 305 Mountainside Ave." [Bound Brook], 1969 | ||||||||||
| 3 | "50th Anniversary," 1971 | ||||||||||
| 4-6 | "General Notices," 1981 | ||||||||||
| 7 | "Sisterhood," 1981 | ||||||||||
| 8-9 | "United Synagogue and Federation," 1981 | ||||||||||
| 10 | "Groundbreaking," 1981 | ||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 4 | [Congregation Poster], undated | ||||||||||
| SCRAP BOOK, circa 1955 | |||||||||||
| Summary: An album of undated, uncaptioned photographs of various events such as fund drives, a groundbreaking, temple construction, award ceremonies, etc. Also includes a few newsclippings and programs (circa 1955) relating to these events. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 4 | Scrapbook, circa 1955 | ||||||||||
| FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1943-1967, 1977, 1978 and undated | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Notebooks and bound volumes containing accounts of members' payments and donations to the Congregation, the general receipts and disbursements of the Congregation, and a "Special Rabbinical Account" volume possibly reflecting the rabbi's exclusive budget. Also included is an account notebook of a 1957 Cadillac raffle, and treasurer's reports for 1977 and 1978. | |||||||||||
| Budget information for years not covered here ·can be found in congregation MINUTES and Board of Trustees MINUTES. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 4 | Membership Ledger, undated | ||||||||||
| Raffle Account, 1957 | |||||||||||
| Cash Books, 1952 and 1953 | |||||||||||
| Treasurer's Reports, 1977 and 1978 | |||||||||||
| Cash Book, October 1950-0ctober 1956 | |||||||||||
| Cash Book, November 1956-1962 | |||||||||||
| Cash Book, April 1962-1965 | |||||||||||
| Cash Book, October 1964-June 1967 | |||||||||||
| Special Rabbinical Account, December 1943-October 1949 | |||||||||||
| III. Sisterhood | |||||||||||
| CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION, December 8, 1921 | |||||||||||
| Summary: A document certifying the formation of the Jacob Schiff Social Ladies' Circle in 1921, naming its founders and stating its objectives, as attested to by a "Master of Chancery". | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | December 8, 1921 | |||||||||
| MINUTES, 1921-1968 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Bound volumes, spiritual notebooks and loose pages, holographic for the earlier years and sections of the later, the rest typewritten. The Sisterhood was called the Jacob Schiff Ladies' Social Circle in the earlier years. Meeting agenda include: election of officers, building plans, entertainment, donor dinners, publication of a bulletin (not included in this collection), etc. The typescript of an amusing play, author unknown, depicting the plight of Alice in the Wonderland of a sisterhood board meeting, is loose inside the cover of the 1921-1922 volume. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 2 | November 8, 1921-October 4, 1922 | |||||||||
| 3 | June 18, 1924-November 8, 1933 | ||||||||||
| 4 | November 6, 1923-February 21, 1938 | ||||||||||
| 5 | March 8, 1938-October 27, 1942 | ||||||||||
| 6 | September 14, 1954-May 24, 1955 | ||||||||||
| 7 | September 1, 1955-October 9, 1956 | ||||||||||
| 8 | November 7, 1956-November 6, 1958 | ||||||||||
| 9 | November 11, 1958-January 7, 1960 | ||||||||||
| 10 | January 12, 1960-January 10, 1961 | ||||||||||
| 11 | February 2, 1961-January 9, 1962 | ||||||||||
| 12 | January 23, 1962-September 24, 1963 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | October 23, 1962-October 8, 1963 | |||||||||
| 2 | November 5, 1962.-January 22, 1963 | ||||||||||
| 3 | June 8, 1965-May 23, 1966 | ||||||||||
| 4 | June 8, 1966-May 23, 1967 | ||||||||||
| 5 | June 15, 1967-April 25, 1968 | ||||||||||
| JOURNAL AND DIRECTORY, 1944-1985 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Advertisement journals containing lists of officers, program notes, "Guys & Dolls" or "Jewels" lists (possibly listing the full congregation). Issues 1958 and later include membership directories. The 1971 Anniversary issue contains historical information on Congregation Knesseth Israel. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 1944, 1953, 1955, 1956 | |||||||||
| 7 | 1957, 1958 | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1959, 1960 | ||||||||||
| 9 | 1961, 1962, 1963 | ||||||||||
| 10 | 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 | ||||||||||
| 11 | 1970, 1974, 1976, 1977 | ||||||||||
| 12 | [50th Anniversary issue], 1971 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 1980, 1984, 1985 | ||||||||||
| IV. Rabbi | |||||||||||
| BOUND BROOK CLERGY ASSOCIATION CORRESPONDENCE, 1977-1979 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: unarranged. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Letters to and from Rabbi Aaron Deeter reflecting his role in and, for a portion of the above period, as president of the Bound Brook Clergy Association. The uncaptioned photograph included here was found loose between folders but: seemed to depict members of the BBCA and so was filed here. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 1977-1979 | |||||||||
| V. Education Committee | |||||||||||
| MINUTES, July 1963 - May 1972 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Minutes relating to the Hebrew School (curriculum, field trips, enrollment, staff, etc.) and Bar and Bat Mitzvah formalities, and the budget. Also included are an increasing number, as the years go on, of supplemental materials such as registration forms, questionnaires, class lists, bulletins, form letters to parents, annual reports, etc. It has not been ascertained whether or to what degree these materials relate to the minutes with which they are interfiled. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 2 | July 1963-April 1969 | |||||||||
| 3 | June 1969-May 1971 | ||||||||||
| 4-5 | October 1971-May 1972 | ||||||||||
| 6 | October 1968-April 1971 | ||||||||||
| 7 | November 1971-May 1972 | ||||||||||
| ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1965-1976 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Arranged chronologically. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Materials similar to the supplemental items mentioned under MINUTES, though exclusive of minutes except in one incongruous instance. In addition there are address lists, holographic notes, white copies of correspondence, teacher contracts, graduation programs, and other documents relating to the Hebrew School as administered by the Education Committee. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 9-12 | 1965-1971 | |||||||||
| 13 | 1969 | ||||||||||
| 14 | 1972-1974 | ||||||||||
| 15 | High School, 1970-1971 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Teachers' Agreements, 1970-1973 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Curriculum & Bar and Bat Mitzvah Information, 1966-1976 | ||||||||||
| 18 | 1970 and undated | ||||||||||
| VI. Building Committee | |||||||||||
| GENERAL FILES, 1953-1954, 1962 | |||||||||||
| Arrangement: Unarranged. | |||||||||||
| Summary: Documents relating to the construction of the Bound Brook Jewish Center on Mountain Avenue in 1953 to 1954. Documents types include correspondence, contracts, blueprints, telegrams, specification sheets, notes, etc. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1-2 | 1953-1954, 1962 | |||||||||
| VII. Choir | |||||||||||
| GENERAL FILES, 1968 | |||||||||||
| Summary: Holographic membership lists, a roster, robe-ordering information, sheet music, and a list of melodies by Hebrew name. | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 3 | 1968 | |||||||||