IV. Sisterhood

The records of Congregation Poile Zedek date from 1917 to 1969 and 1985 to1997. Material from 1901 to 1917 is missing and there are no records present from 1970 to 1984, nor from after 1997. Except for these missing periods, the documentation is fairly well distributed across the span of years.

Included in the records of the Congregation are copies of its CONSITUTION, MINUTES, various FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS and a SCRAPBOOK. Also included in the records are examples of various PRINTED AND MIMEOGRAPHED MATERIAL such as certificates, membership applications, play scripts and a graduation program.

The MINUTES, 1928-1967 and 1985-1997, of the Congregation are the most complete record series in the collection. Written in Yiddish until 1947, they record decisions necessary to maintain the smooth functioning of the synagogue. Among these activities are the hiring of a rabbi, the physical upkeep of the synagogue building and cemetery and the creation of a Hebrew School.

Although the series FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS, bulk 1917-1967, comprises over one third of the records of Congregation Poile Zedek, there are significant gaps in the materials. For example, the two subseries Membership Ledgers and Statements of Members' Accounts cover only 1917-1927, 1941-1945 and 1967. In addition, the Cash Books subseries covers only 1923-1930 and 1936-1940. The subseries Day Books, 1927-1930 and circa 1952-circa 1954, and Bills Paid, 1955-1962, do not adequately fill in the gaps.

The Board of Trustees subgroup encompasses one of the more incomplete series in its MINUTES, 1959-1967 and 1989-1997 with gaps. The Board was primarily concerned with long-range planning and preparing recommendations for the Congregation.

The series arising from the activities of the Building Committee are complete for the important years 1922-1924 when the synagogue was being planned and under construction. The MINUTES, 1923-1924, of the Building Committee are recorded in Yiddish. Its other records include a DONATION LEDGER, 1922-1924, and CASH BOOK, 1922-1924.

The MINUTES, 1939-1969, of the Sisterhood have gaps during the years 1945-1949 and 1957-1958. MEMBERSHIP LEDGERS are available from 1924-1952 for this subgroup. The two main activities of the Sisterhood were planning fundraisers, in order to help pay off mortgages on the synagogue, and planning social activities for the Congregation's members. Both the MINUTES and an ACCOUNT BOOK, 1964-1967, document these activities.

The records of the Hebrew School are the most incomplete. The only series in this subgroup is PRINTED AND MIMEOGRAPHED MATERIAL, circa 1962 and undated. Included in it are fundraising documents, a graduation certificate and mimeographed educational worksheets.