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Descriptive summary
Creator:	Graduate School for Jewish Social Work (New York, N.Y.)
Title:	Graduate School for Jewish Social Work (New York, N.Y.) Records
Dates:	undated, 1925-1950
Abstract:	This collection documents the activities of the Graduate School for Jewish Social Research. It contains many papers concerning various projects undertaken by the School, especially the Lower East Side documentation project and a project that compared letters sent to Der Tag newspaper. In addition, the collection holds papers having to do with the daily activities of the school
Languages:	The collection is in English and Yiddish.
Quantity:	7.35 linear feet (4 manuscript boxes; 1 half manuscript box; 3 20 x 16 x 3 oversized flat boxes)
Identification:	I-7
Repository:	American Jewish Historical Society

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Historical Note

Knishman, Lower East side, 1933

The Training School for Jewish Social Work (New York, NY) was founded in 1925. In 1932 the school changed its name to the Graduate School for Jewish Social Work. The school stopped accepting students in 1939, and was open only a few more years until the graduate students were able to finish their work. The GSJSW administered a master's degree in Social Work and a master's degree in Social Service. The goal of the institution was to train new social workers, give additional training to workers already in the field, and to build a library on Jewish social work and Jewish communities. The master's theses produced at this school addressed a range of issues facing Jews in America.

The GSJSW maintained committees to oversee different functions of the school. The Committee on Research was made up of members of the faculty. The Committee's role was to oversee the research projects the graduate students undertook as a requirement for their degree. The research projects were the basis for the students' master's theses. This Committee also designed rules and procedures for producing graduate level work and functioned as a board to edit the theses.

In 1932, GSJSW began a research project called the East Side Project. This project set out to document Jewish life on the Lower East Side of New York. Between 1932 and 1934, over 300 photographs were taken of the Lower East Side. The inspiration for this project came from J.B. Lightman who had been a student at the school, and later the research librarian. Lightman, a relative newcomer to New York City in 1932, was enthralled by the sights and sounds of Jews in New York. Lightman, "saw the passing of a picture of Jewish communal life, activities and endeavor,"¹ and identified the historical importance of recording a community that he perceived to be changing.

• Footnotes

• ¹ Robert S. Goldman, "Acquisition Note," American Jewish Historical Quarterly 59 (1970): 371.
• ² For further information of the fate of the Graduate School for Jewish Social Work, see Training Bureau for Jewish Social Work Records (I-8) also at the American Jewish Historical Society.
• ³ GSJSW theses are available at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
• ⁴ Der Tag can be found on microfilm at various repositories.
• ⁵ For access to the negatives contact the Photo Archivist.

References

"National Jewish Organizations." American Jewish Yearbook 40 (1939): 429-430.

Goldman, Robert S. "Acquisition Note." American Jewish Historical Quarterly 59 n.3 (1970): 371-378.

Lightman, J.B. Here, There, 'Most Everywhere: Memoirs of an International Social Worker and Educator. Montreal: J.B Lightman, 1997.

Wenger, Beth S. "Memory as Identity: The Invention of the Lower East Side." American Jewish History 85 n.1 (1997): 3-27.

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Scope and Content Note

The Graduate School for Jewish Social Work Records comprises material from the administration of the school and material relating to various research projects undertaken by individual students at the school, and by the school as a whole. Materials include by-laws, course announcements, library acquisition lists, minutes, reports, studies, scrapbooks, a student register, file lists, notes, thesis abstracts, thesis outlines, rules and procedures for thesis projects, correspondence, a project proposal, research diaries, maps, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and photographs. Please note that the collection does not include copies of students theses; these are available at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. The bulk of the collection consists of records of the Lower East Side documentation project undertaken as a school-wide project in 1932. Also of interest is a project embarked upon to compare original letters written to the Men's and Women's Department of Der Tag (a Yiddish newspaper) to letters that were actually published in the newspaper.

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Arrangement

Original order and original folder titles were retained wherever possible.

The collection is arranged in four series:

• Series I: Administration, undated, 1925-1950
• Series II: Committee on Research, undated, 1932-1938
• Series III: Der Tag Project, undated, 1932-1933
• Series IV: East Side Project, undated, 1925-1935
  • Subseries A: Research Diaries, 1932
  • Subseries B: Research Materials, undated, 1931-1935
  • Subseries C: Photographic Study, undated, 1931-1934
• Separated Oversized Materials, 1925-1934

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16^th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: info@ajhs.org

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Related Material

Graduate School for Jewish Social Work (New York, NY) Records
Yeshiva University Archives, New York, NY.

Training Bureau for Jewish Social Work Records, I-8
American Jewish Historical Society, Newton Centre, MA and New York, NY.

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Provenance

The Society acquired the collection prior to 1968. For more information, please consult the Archivist.

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Graduate School for Jewish Social Work (New York, N.Y.) Records; I-7; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I: Administration, undated, 1925-1950.
Languages in this series include English and Yiddish.
4.4 linear ft.
Arrangement: Material is arranged alphabetically by type.
Scope and Content: Series I includes minutes from meetings of the school's Board of Professional Advisors, undated, 1927-1929 (Box 1, Folder 1), a complete set of Course Announcements, 1925-1940 (Boxes 1-2 Folders 4-13), and two Scrapbooks, 1925-1935 (Boxes 6-7, Folders 116-122) documenting the school's activities. Of special interest to researchers are the Reports and Studies, undated, 1933-1950 (Box 2, Folders 15-19) on the GSJSW, particularly those that document the last years of the school and plans to keep the school viable.2 Also of interest to researchers is the Student Register, 1925-1939 (Box 2, Folder 21), which includes a list of GSJSW students, their previous degrees and their research topics. Many of the alumni of the GSJSW became prominent social workers and were influential in the American Jewish community.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
1	1	Board of Professional Advisors: Minutes	undated, 1927-1929
1	2	Board of Professional Advisors: Report	1929
1	3	Bylaws	1931
1	4	Course Announcements	1925-1926
1	5	Course Announcements	1927-1928
1	6	Course Announcements	1929-1930
1	7	Course Announcements	1930-1931
1	8	Course Announcements	1931-1932
1	9	Course Announcements	1932-1933
1	10	Course Announcements	1933-1935
1	11	Course Announcements	1935-1937
1	12	Course Announcements	1937-1938
Box	Folder	Title	Date
2	13	Course Announcements	1925-1940
2	14	Library Aquisistions	1933-1937
2	15-16	Reports and Studies	undated,1933
2	17	Reports and Studies	1935
2	18	Reports and Studies	1938
2	19	Reports and Studies	1939-1940, 1950
Box		Title	Date
Box	Folder	Title	Date
2	20	Scrapbook: Volume I: Items taken from Scrapbook	1925-1927
Box	Folder	Title	Date
		Scrapbook: Volume II [oversized]	1928-1935
Box	Folder	Title	Date
2	21	Student Register	1925-1939

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Series II: Committee on Research, undated, 1932-1938.
The predominant language in this series is English.
Box 2, Folders 22-23 - Box 3, Folders 24-29; .25 linear ft.
Arrangement: Material is arranged alphabetically by type.
Scope and Content: Series II contains records of the committee responsible for overseeing student research projects, particularly those leading to master's theses. Administrative decisions in regard to the thesis projects can be seen in Rules and Procedures, 1932-1934 (Box 3, Folder 29) and Meeting Minutes, 1932-1935 (Box 3, Folder 24). Of particular interest is a list of Department Research Files, 1932-1934 (Box 2, Folder 22) that outline research projects undertaken by the students. Researchers should note that this collection contains the Abstracts, undated, 1937-1938 (Box 3, Folders 25-27) and Outlines, 1932 (Box 3 Folder 28) of thesis projects, but not bound copies of the theses.3
Box	Folder	Title	Date
2	22	Department Research Files	1932-1934
2	23	Faculty Notes	undated, 1932-1937
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	24	Meeting Minutes	1932-1935
3	25-27	Theses: Abstracts	undated, 1937-1938
3	28	Theses: Outlines	1932
3	29	Theses: Rules and Procedures	undated, 1932-1934

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Series III: Der Tag Project, undated, 1932-1933.
Languages in this series include English and Yiddish.
Box 3, Folders 30-48; .25 linear ft.
Arrangement: Material is arranged by document type.
Scope and Content: During the 1932-1933 academic year, a project was undertaken to compare the original letters written to the Men's and Women's Department of Der Tag (a Yiddish language newspaper, also called The Day) with letters that were actually published. Series III: Der Tag Project contains an outline of this project that can be found in Letter Comparison Study, 1933 (Box 3, Folder 30). Also included are the Original Letters, undated, 1932-1933 (Box 3, Folders 31-48) that were sent to the newspaper. Most of these letters are in Yiddish, but some are in English.4
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	30	Letter Comparison Study	1933
3	31	Original Letters	undated, 1932
3	32-38	Original Letters: January	1933
3	39-48	Original Letters: February	1933

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Series IV: East Side Project, undated, 1925-1935.
Languages in this series include English and Yiddish.
Boxes 3, Folders 49-51 - Box 5; 2.45 linear ft.
Arrangement: Research diaries are arranged alphabetically by author, research materials and photos are arranged alphabetically by type.
Scope and Content: Also in the 1932-1933 academic year, the GSJSW undertook an ambitious project to document the Lower East Side. Series IV comprises diaries that document the inception and day to day activities of the project (Subseries A: Research Diaries); background material gathered to aid the project (Subseries B: Research Materials); and results of the project in the form of photographs of the Lower East Side (Subseries C: Photographic Study). The bulk of Series IV: East Side Project: Subseries C: Photographic Study comprises Photographs (Boxes 4-5, and 8, Folders 60-115 and 123-126) documenting buildings, businesses, organizations and people on the Lower East Side of New York from 1932-1934. Most of the photographs were taken in 1933. The photographs have been arranged according to roll numbers, with the first experimental batch of photographs coming first. Each folder of photographs also contains captions describing most of the images on the corresponding roll. Researchers should be aware that the negatives from this collection have been housed separately. Contact prints, filed with the photographs, have been made from almost all of the negatives.5
Subseries A: Research Diaries, 1932.
Box 3, Folders 49-51.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	49	J.B. Lightman	1932
3	50	George Wolfe	1932
3	51	George Wolfe, Draft	1932
Subseries B: Research Materials, undated, 1931-1935.
Boxes 4, Folders 52-56.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
4	52	Maps	undated
4	53	Newspaper Articles: Forward	undated, 1934-1935
4	54-55	Newspaper articles: Various	1933-1935
4	56	Pamphlets	undated, 1931-1932
Subseries C: Photographic Study, undated, 1931-1934.
Box 4, Folders 57 - Box 5.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
4	57	Correspondence	1931-1934
4	58	Meeting Minutes	1933
4	59	Notes	undated, 1932-1934
4	60	Photographs: Early Experimental Batch	circa 1932
4	61	Photographs: Roll 1	ca 1932
4	62	Photographs: Roll 2	circa 1932
4	63	Photographs: Roll 3	1933
4	64	Photographs: Roll 4	1933
4	65	Photographs: Roll 5 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	66	Photographs: Roll 6 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	67	Photographs: Roll 7 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	68	Photographs: Roll 8	1933
4	69	Photographs: Roll 9	1933
4	70	Photographs: Roll 10	1933
4	71	Photographs: Roll 11	1933
4	72	Photographs: Roll 12	1933
4	73	Photographs: Roll 13	1933
4	74	Photographs: Roll 14	1933
4	75	Photographs: Roll 15 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	76	Photographs: Roll 16 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	77	Photographs: Roll 17	1933
4	78	Photographs: Roll 18 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	79	Photographs: Roll 19	1933
4	80	Photographs: Roll 20 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	81	Photographs: Roll 21 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	82	Photographs: Roll 22	1933
4	83	Photographs: Roll 23 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	84	Photographs: Roll 24	1933
4	85	Photographs: Roll 25	1933
4	86	Photographs: Roll 26	1933
4	87	Photographs: Roll 27 [See also Box 8]	1933
4	88	Photographs: Roll 28	1933
Box	Folder	Title	Date
5	89	Photographs: Roll 29	1933
5	90	Photographs: Roll 30	1933
5	91	Photographs: Roll 31	1933
5	92	Photographs: Roll 32 [See also Box 8)	1933
5	93	Photographs: Roll 33	1933
5	94	Photographs: Roll 34 [See also Box 8]	1933
5	95	Photographs: Roll 35	1933
5	96	Photographs: Roll 36	1933
5	97	Photographs: Roll 37	1933
5	98	Photographs: Roll 38	1934
5	99	Photographs: Roll 39	1934
5	100	Photographs: Roll 40	1934
5	101	Photographs: Roll 41	1934
5	102	Photographs: Roll 42	1934
5	103	Photographs: Roll 43	1934
5	104	Photographs: Roll 44 [See also Box 8]	1934
5	105	Photographs: Roll 45 [See also Box 8]	1934
5	106	Photographs: Roll 46	1934
5	107	Photographs: Rolls 47-48	1934
5	108	Photographs: Rolls 49-50	1934
5	109	Photographs: Rolls 51-52	1934
5	110	Photographs: Rolls 53-55	circa 1934
5	111	Photographs: Rolls 56-59	circa 1934
5	112	Photographs: Rolls 60-64	circa 1934
5	113	Photographs: Rolls 65-70	circa 1934
5	114	Photographs: Rolls 71-74	circa 1934
5	115	Photographs: Rolls 75-77	circa 1934
Box	Folder	Title	Date
		Photographs: Rolls 5-7 [oversized]	1933
		Photographs: Rolls 15-16, 18, 20-21 [oversized]	1933
		Photographs: Roll 23, 27 [oversized]	1933
		Photographs: Rolls 32, 34, 44-45 [oversized]	1933-1934

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Separated Oversized Materials, 1925-1934.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
6	116	Scrapbook: Volume I	1925-1927
Box	Folder	Title	Date
7	117-122	Scrapbook: Volume II	1928-1935
Box	Folder	Title	Date
8	123	Photographs: Rolls 5-7	1933
8	124	Photographs: Rolls 15-16, 18, 20-21	1933
8	125	Photographs: Roll 23, 27	1933
8	126	Photographs: Rolls 32, 34, 44-45	1933-1934

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