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 Collection
Identifier: MC 735

Temple Beth El (Rutherford, N.J.) Records.

Dates

  • 1920-1985

Scope and Content Note

The records of Temple Beth El of Rutherford, New Jersey (MC 735), span the years 1920 to 1985, with the bulk of the documents falling between 1950 and 1978.

Materials covering the period from the Temple's inception in 1919 until the early 1950s when the congregation moved from East Rutherford to Rutherford is extremely sparse except for FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1920-1965, which show a contrary emphasis on the early years with very little material from the period following the move.

The most substantial record series in volume and completeness are Board of Trustees' MINUTES, 1948-1950 and 1958-1975, and the congregation's NEWSLETTERS, 1950-1962 and 1972-1985. The FINANCIAL RECORDS, also of considerable volume, are a good source of information about early members, there being no membership lists of the full congregation present in the collection. The congregation's ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1934-1981 with gaps, are a fairly miscellaneous gathering of materials found together, but lacking a common theme. Other congregation records include a 1927 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS, PRINTED MISCELLANY, 1954 and undated, and UNITED JEWISH APPEAL DRIVE MINUTES, 1941-1943.

The records of the Sisterhood are not extensive, but provide a good glimpse of its vigorous character and its zeal in recruiting new members. Mention is made within the Sisterhood's MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE GENERAL FILES, 1959-1972, of various meetings, but no minutes of such meetings are present in the collection. Also missing from Sisterhood files is a complete set of CONGREGATION CALENDARS, which the Sisterhood prepared for many years prior to the examples for 1974/75-1975/76 and 1977/78 which are in the collection. Additional series present in the Sisterhood's records are MEMBERSHIP LISTS, 1970/71-1971/72, ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1955-1957 and 1961-1962, and an undated PHOTOGRAPH. A cookbook compiled by members of the Sisterhood was removed from the collection and cataloged individually; it is available in the Sinclair New Jersey collection (call number: SNCLNJ TX724 .N673 1971).

Records of the Religious School are sparse in all aspects, with BOARD OF EDUCATION MINUTES covering only 1961 to 1973. The lack of earlier minutes may be accounted for by Board of Education topics being addressed at meetings of the Temple's Board of Trustees (see MINUTES of that body); later Board of Education minutes are not available. Related series for the Religious School include GENERAL FILES, 1959-1970, ROLL BOOKS, 1953-1954, and an ACCOUNT BOOK, 1928-1934.

Extent

3.7 Cubic Feet (10 manuscript boxes and 4 phase boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

No Restrictions.

Abstract

Founded as the South Bergen Hebrew Institute of East Rutherford in 1919, Temple Beth El, a congregation of Conservative Jews, has been located in Rutherford since the early 1950s.

Chronology

1919
South Bergen Hebrew Institute of East Rutherford is established by founding members Mr. Friedman (Treasurer), Mrs. Benowitz of Carlstadt and Mrs. Korn; members first meet at Kugelmeister Hall for High Holidays and for regular services at Klar's Drug Store in Carlstadt.
1921
First building is built (on Park Avenue in East Rutherford); first full-time Rabbi is hired.
1939-1940
A plot of land for a cemetery, named Mt. Hebron, is purchased in Lyndhurst by Ira Benowitz, Mr. Zimmerman and one other and then resold to the Synagogue without profit; money from sale of plots pays off East Rutherford (Park Avenue) mortgage.
1942
Mrs. Ludwig joins congregation and teaches in the Hebrew School.
1946
Peak size of congregation, at 700 members, prompts decision to build a new synagogue.
1950
Additional cemetery land purchased from Charles Koenig of Carlstadt.
1951
Name "Temple Beth El, the Jewish Center of South Bergen" is adopted.
1953
Rabbi Lawrence Gernsein is hired; ground-breaking ceremony is held on site of present (1987) building on Montross Avenue in Rutherford.
1955
On February 27, dedication ceremony of newly completed building is held; also in February, the newsletter changes its title from The Center Review to Shofar.

Principal Officers

1950
Herman Schwartz
1952
A. Irving Schnipper
1953
Lawrence J. Gerstein
1973
Stewart H. Sytner
1976
Steven Shaw
1983
Avigdor Solomon
1950
Louis H. Waldman
1952
Norman Jacobowitz
1953
Richard Zimmerman
1954
Joseph Spevack
1957
William Masters
1961
Robert Jacobs
1973
Jack Caminer
1975
Mark Elfant
1950
Mrs. Seymour Mahler
1952
Jean Zimmerman
1953
Min Ludwig
1954
Rosalyn Been
1955
Goldie Lipton
Estelle Kahn
1957
Min Ludwig
1959
Joan Lipstadt
1973
Harriet G. Saxon
1976
Min Ludwig
Marion Cupo
1955
Samuel Schwartz
1957
Dr. Henry Lloyd
Marvin Stern
1959
Jack Caminer
1962
Arthur Ackerman
Title
Inventory to the Temple Beth El (Rutherford, N.J.) Records MC 735
Status
Edited Full Draft
Author
Mitchell Greenberg
Date
September 2015
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.
Sponsor
Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.