Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans records
Scope and Contents
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans records consists of administrative, organizational, financial, and subject files, as well as photographs, scrapbooks, and other ephemera that reflect the activities of the organization between 1914 and 1994. Included in the collection are the merger documents that consolidated the Jewish Charitable and Education Federation and the Jewish Welfare Fund into the Jewish Federation of New Orleans in 1962. Financial materials, consisting of contribution and pledge records, as well as budget records, allocations, loans, taxes, disbursements, and audit reports are also included. Subject files containing correspondence between committees, meeting minutes, reports, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets are also present. The collection includes scrapbooks that contain photographs, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, as well as other ephemera documenting local activities of the Federation. The collection consists of two groups of records, one containing materials dating between 1914 to approximately 1980 and the second group dating between 1977 and 1992. The new accrual of materials materials transferred to the archives contain a census taken of the Jewish population of New Orleans in 1984 as well as materials used during a campaign against the political advancement of David Duke. The Jewish community of New Orleans has maintained a Federation that has raised money for Jewish causes since 1913, coordinating activities and representing the Jewish community to the public. The Federation began when Jewish leaders in the New Orleans Jewish community met and approved the charter of the Jewish Charitable and Educational Federation, which was meant to centralize Jewish local fundraising, eliminate unauthorized solicitations, and to coordinate charitable activities in the Jewish Community. The Jewish Welfare Fund was created in 1931 by the Federation's Board of Trustees to consolidate out-of-town fundraising drives looking for local support. It was found that the Federation and Fund's purposes overlapped in many ways, so these two groups merged and became the Jewish Federation of New Orleans in 1962. Its current name, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, was adopted in 1977. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is made up of constituent agencies, also known as affiliates, which perform charitable, cultural, or educational services primarily in the New Orleans area. The Federation provides financial assistance to beneficiary agencies, which include local, national, or international Jewish organizations or institutions.
Dates
- Creation: 1914-1994 (bulk: 1925-1990)
Creator
- Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. (Organization)
OFFSITE LOCATION
The collection is stored offsite. Researchers must contact specialcollections@tulane.edu at least two business days (48 business hours) in advance for access to these materials.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.
Biographical / Historical
The Jewish community in New Orleans has sustained a Federation for raising funds for Jewish causes since 1913. The Federation first began on June 4, 1913, when New Orleans Jewish community leaders met and approved the charter of the Jewish Charitable and Educational Federation. The organization was meant to centralized local fundraising, eliminate unauthorized solicitations, and to coordinate the charitable activities of the Jewish community.
In 1924, the Federation assigned its fundraising tasks to the newly-created Community Chest, leaving the Federation to coordinate, plan, and advise its affiliated agencies. Funds for national and international Jewish needs were not being addressed by the Community Chest, so the Federation's Board of Trustees created the Jewish Welfare Fund in 1931 to consolidate out-of-town drives appealing for local support.
On June 23, 1943, the Federation's membership approved revisions to the 1913 charter, including changing the organization's name to the Jewish Federation of New Orleans and charging it with administering charitable, philanthropic, and educational efforts for the Jewish community; with coordinating programs and social services of affiliated agencies; and with expressing the local Jewish community's viewpoint.
In 1953, the governing boards of the Federation and the Fund created a joint committee, the Community Organization Study, to undertake a series of self-studies about the Jewish community. This study eventually revealed an uneconomical overlapping duplication of functions and other conflicts. On January 28, 1962, the membership of ratified the consolidation of both boards, creating one Board of Trustees governing both the Federation and Fund. In 1977, the Federation adopted the name Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
In 1984, there was a census taken of the Jewish community in New Orleans. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Federation became increasingly involved in politics on both local and national levels. Assistance was given to Russian immigrant Jews in New Orleans. A major campaign was undertaken against David Duke for his anti-Semitic views, especially after he was elected to the Louisiana State House of Representatives and later campaigns for U.S. Senate and State Governor.
Extent
253 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement Note
The first section of the collection consists of five main series: 1. Organization, 2. Administration, 3. Financial, 4. General subject files, and 5. Scrapbooks, 6. New accrual, and 7. New accrual - volumes. 1. Organization is divided into subseries, then the contents are arranged alphabetically. 2. Administration is divided into subseries, then the contents are arranged chronologically. 3. Financial is divided into subseries, then the contents are arranged chronologically. 4. General subject files are arranged alphabetically. 5. Scrapbooks are arranged chronologically. 6. New accrual is an unarranged inventory of new materials. 7. New accrual - volumes is arranged chronologically. NOTE: The second half of the collection (series 6 and 7) was an addition to the original collection. The collection consists of 423 boxes and 77 volumes. It is 253 linear feet.
Source of Acquisition
Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Date acquired: 02/10/1984.
Processing Information
The first section of the collection was originally processed by Richard Erenbaum and Arthur Carpenter in November, 1986.
Subject
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee. (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans records
- Author
- LAC Group
- Date
- 03/02/2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- eng
Repository Details
Part of the Tulane University Special Collections Repository