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Descriptive Summary
Creator:	Noah Benevolent Society (1849-1980)
Title:	Noah Benevolent Society Records
Dates:	undated, 1852-1979
Abstract:	The Noah Benevolent Society (1849-1980), named after Judge Mordechai M. Noah, provided mutual relief for members, their wives and orphans, and helped with internment costs and burial plots at Cypress Hills and other New York cemeteries. The Society also provided relief for Jews in Morocco and Jerusalem and donated funds to several Jewish charitable institutions as well as the Association for the Advancement of Blind Children. The Society disbanded in 1980 due to dwindling membership. The records of the Noah Benevolent Society contain membership minutes and books, donation and financial records, constitutions and by-laws, newsletters, memorabilia, and photographs.
Languages:	The collection is in German and English.
Quantity:	17.35 linear feet. (25 manuscript boxes, 3 20" x 17" x 3" boxes)
Accession number:	I-186
Repository:	American Jewish Historical Society
Location:

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Historical Note

Noah Benevolent Society (1849-1980)

Seven German Jewish immigrants who wished to provide a forum for mutual assistance and social support founded the Noah Benevolent Society in New York on January 7, 1849. Electing to name the lodge after a representative of American Judaism, they chose Judge Mordecai M. Noah for his "fervent patriotism" and "deep religious feeling," and elected Judge Noah as an honorary member. The lodge sought to provide "mutual relief of its members in sickness, destitution or distress, their interment in a suitable burying ground, the relief of their widows and orphans, and other like benevolent purposes." It quickly grew in membership, and joined the Independent Order Free Sons of Israel that organized in March 1849. In December of that year, Noah Lodge purchased a large plot (Section 1) in Cypress Hills cemetery. Additional grave plots were later purchased in Mt. Hope Cemetery (1883), Cypress cemetery, Section 14 (1912), Mount Pleasant Cemetery (1927), and Beth Israel Cemetery in New Jersey (1947). Noah Lodge No. 1 broke away from Free Sons of Israel over a disagreement over insurance plans in 1870, and chartered its own organization titled the Noah Benevolent Widows' and Orphans' Association. The name of the Association changed to the Noah Benevolent Society in 1916, and also in 1916, the official language for Noah switched from German to English. Please note that the Membership minutes are written in German until 1907, and the Trustee minutes are written in German until 1912.

Noah Benevolent Society stayed true to its mission to help its members and other Jews in need. In 1916, the Herman Brand (a popular Noah President) Welfare Fund Committee was formed to assist impoverished members. In the 1930s, Noah was involved in educating refugees. Through its Committee for Refugees (1939-1941) it created a refugee school and offered special social events. Among the charitable funds Noah contributed include helping Jews in Morocco (1860), Jerusalem (1863), Jewish Federation of Charities (beginning in 1937) and the United Jewish Appeal (beginning in 1939). Noah also annually disbursed small donations to various Jewish charities. In 1963, Noah elected a sponsor charity, and chose the Association for the Advancement of Blind Children.

Having served as a security and close community for its members for 131 years, Noah disbanded in 1980. Unable to financially stay afloat due to a lack of new membership, deaths of its elderly members, and increasing Life Members (members who had been in the Society over 50 years and were not required to pay dues) it was forced to liquidate its assets.

References

Compiled from the records of the Noah Benevolent Society, Ref. #I-186.

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Scope and Content Note

The Records of the Noah Benevolent Society consist of constitutions and by-laws, trustee and membership minutes, anniversary journals, membership books, accountant's reports, financial and statistical reports of the Mordechai Federal Credit Union, newsletters, and photographs that document the Society's activities.

The collection is valuable to researchers studying American German Jewry, benevolent societies, refugee relief, Jewish World War I soldiers, and Jewish philanthropy.

Of special interest in the membership minutes is information on an attempt to form a Noah Legion Post as part of the American Legion, a November 1932 report of the Welfare Fund Committee, a Barter Committee established during the Depression, an unsuccessful attempt in 1944 to have an ambulance plane named "The Spirit of Noah" by selling war bonds, and the Society's efforts in 1963 to aid the Association for the Advancement of Blind Children. Of interest in the newsletters is information on efforts to find jobs for members during the Depression, correspondence from members in the Armed Forces, and the 1939 Noah Summer School for Refugees.

The collection consists of constitution and by-laws, minutes, memorabilia, newsletters, anniversary journals, financial records, a scrapbook, and photographs.

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Arrangement

Informally arranged into one series including minutes, journals, membership books, financial records, directories, newsletters, cemetery listings, memorabilia, and Constitutions and By-Laws; documents appear in chronological order.

• Collection Box List
• Oversized Materials

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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

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: info@ajhs.org

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Related Material

Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785-1851) Collection, undated, 1816-1851. Ref. # P-75.

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Provenance

The Noah Benevolent Society donated its records to the American Jewish Historical Society in 1981.

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Noah Benevolent Society Records; I-186; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Access points

• Subject organizations:

  • American Legion
  • Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York

• Subject topics:

  • Blind
  • Fraternal orders
  • Refugees
  • Soldiers, Jews
  • United States -- Economic conditions
  • World War, 1939-1945 -- Jews

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Container List

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

Collection Box List, undated, 1852-1979.
Languages include German and English.
17.35 linear feet
Arrangement: Informally arranged into one series by minutes, journals, membership books, financial records, directories, newsletters, cemetery listings, memorabilia, and Constitutions and By-Laws; documents appear in chronological order. Box 1 was originally named 1B. Box 28 was originally named 1A
Scope and Content: The collection represents the entirety of the records of the Noah Benevolent Society including Membership and Trustee Minutes, Membership Books and Directories, Financial Records (including Trial Balances and Mordechai Federal Credit Union records), Newsletters, and Constitutions and By-Laws. Also included are memorabilia items such as Anniversary Journals (50th-125th), an entertainment scrapbook, photographs, and a "Book of Gold" (record of donations). Of interest also is a listings ledger from the Cypress Hill Cemetery, documenting internments from 1850-1956. See the collection Scope and Content Note for more information concerning the collection. The Membership minutes are written in German until 1907, and the Trustee minutes are written in German until 1912
Membership Minutes, 1852-1971.
Box		Title	Date
1		Membership Minutes	1852-1856
1		Membership Minutes	1868-1875
Box		Title	Date
2		Membership Minutes	1875-1889
Box		Title	Date
3 (OS 1)		Membership Minutes [See Oversized Materials]	Aug. 1889-Jan. 1899
Box		Title	Date
4		Membership Minutes	1899-1907
4		Membership Minutes	1914-1923
Box		Title	Date
5		Membership Minutes	1923-1930
Box		Title	Date
6		Membership Minutes	1930-1936
Box		Title	Date
7		Membership Minutes	1936-1942
Box		Title	Date
8		Membership Minutes	1942-1962
Box		Title	Date
9		Membership Minutes	1963-1971
Trustees Minutes, 1852-1974.
Box		Title	Date
9		Trustees Minutes	1852-1958
9		Trustees Minutes	1876-1905
Box		Title	Date
10		Trustees Minutes	1905-1938
Box		Title	Date
11		Trustees Minutes	1938-1945
Box		Title	Date
12		Trustees Minutes	1945-1948
Box		Title	Date
13		Trustees Minutes	1949-1954
Box		Title	Date
14		Trustees Minutes	1954-1961
Box		Title	Date
15		Trustees Minutes	1962-1967
Box		Title	Date
16		Trustees Minutes	1967-1974
16		Trustees Minutes Index	1927-1944
Anniversary Journals, ca. 1902-1977.
Box		Title	Date
17		Anniversary Journals, 50th-125th	ca. 1902-1977
Membership Books, ca. 1961-1965.
Box		Title	Date
17		Membership Book	1861-1873
Box		Title	Date
18		Membership Book	1873-1892
18		Membership Book	1930-1934
Box		Title	Date
19		Membership Book	1934-1941
Box		Title	Date
20		Membership Book	1941-1948
Box		Title	Date
21		Membership Book	1948-1965
Financial Records, 1862-1870,, 1964-1973.
Box		Title	Date
21		Financial Records	1862-1870
Box		Title	Date
22 (OS 1)		"Trial Balance" Ledgers [See Oversized Materials]	1964-1967
22 (OS 1)		"Trial Balance" Ledgers [See Oversized Materials]	1964-1971
22 (OS 1)		"Trial Balance" Ledgers [See Oversized Materials]	1970-1973
Box		Title	Date
23		Mordecai Federal Credit Union	1959-1960
Membership Directory, 1960.
Box		Title	Date
23		Membership Directory	1960
Newsletters, 1927-1979.
Box		Title	Date
23		Newsletters	1927-1943
Box		Title	Date
24		Newsletters	1944-1960
Box		Title	Date
25		Newsletters	1961-1979
Cemetery Listings, 1950-1956.
Box		Title	Date
26 (OS 1)		Cypress Hill Cemetery Listings Ledger [See Oversized Materials]	1850-1956
Other materials, .
Box		Title	Date
27		Entertainment Scrapbook	1935-1939
27		"Book of Gold"	1926-1967
27		Memorabilia	undated
27		Photographs	undated
Constitutions and By-Laws, 1906-1968.
Box		Title	Date
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1906
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1917
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1922
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1930
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1936
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1950
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1960
28		Constitutions and By-Laws	1968

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Oversized Materials, 1850-1956, 1964-1971.
3 oversized boxes (20" x 17" x 3").
Arrangement: The materials reflect items from the collection that are housed separately from the main collection due to their size.
Scope and Content: The following materials are located in Oversized 1 (OS1).
Box		Title	Date
3 (OS 1)		Membership Minutes	Aug. 1889-Jan. 1899
Box		Title	Date
22 (OS 1)		"Trial Balance" Ledgers	1964-1967
22 (OS 1)		"Trial Balance" Ledgers	1964-1971
Box		Title	Date
22 (OS1 )		"Trial Balance" Ledgers	1970-1973
Box		Title	Date
26 (OS 1)		Cypress Hill Cemetery Listings Ledger	1850-1956

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