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Guide to the Records of Congregation Mishkan Tefila (Boston, MA), 1922-1996
 
*I-462

Reprocessed by Stephanie Call

American Jewish Historical Society

Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street

New York, N.Y. 10011

Phone: (212) 294-6160

Fax: (212) 294-6161

Email: reference@ajhs.org

URL: http://www.ajhs.org

© 2013, American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Machine-readable finding aid created by Stephanie Call as MS Word document, March 2010. Finding aid was encoded by Marvin Rusinek on September 3, 2010. Description is in English.

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Congregation Mishkan Tefila (Boston, MA)
Title: Congregation Mishkan Tefila (Boston, MA), records
Dates: 1922-1996
Abstract: Congregation Mishkan Tefila was founded in 1858 as Mishkan Israel, and is considered to be the oldest conservative synagogue in New England. Its founding members were East Prussian Jews who separated from Ohabei Shalom, which was predominately Polish at the time. In 1894, Mishkan Israel and another conservative synagogue, Shaarei Tefila, merged to form Congregation Mishkan Tefila. The synagogue moved its religious school to Walnut Street in Newton in 1955, and began planning for a new building in Chestnut Hill on Hammond Pond Parkway. The groundbreaking ceremony was on November 13, 1955. In 1958, services were held for the first time in the new synagogue building. This collection contains plays, annual reports, programs for events and dinners, and newsletters.
Languages: The collection is in English and Hebrew.
Quantity: .5 linear feet (1 manuscript box)
Identification: I-462
Repository: American Jewish Historical Society
Location: Located in AJHS, Boston, MA.
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Historical Note1

Congregation Mishkan Tefila, Boston, MA

Congregation Mishkan Tefila was founded in 1858 as Mishkan Israel, and is considered to be the oldest conservative synagogue in New England. Its founding members were East Prussian Jews who separated from Ohabei Shalom, which was predominately Polish at the time. In 1894, Mishkan Israel and another conservative synagogue, Shaarei Tefila, merged to form Congregation Mishkan Tefila.

In the early part of the 20th century, the congregation moved from the South End of Boston to Roxbury (the synagogue was located on Moreland Street and Elm Hill Avenue.) Beginning in the 1940s, however, the Boston Jewish population began to move from the Roxbury-Mattapan-Dorchester areas to the suburbs of Newton and Brookline. In response to this demographic shift the synagogue moved its religious school to Walnut Street in Newton in 1955, and began planning for a new building in Chestnut Hill on Hammond Pond Parkway. The groundbreaking ceremony was on November 13, 1955. In 1958, services were held for the first time in the new synagogue building.

Chronology
1858 Mishkan Israel founded with former East Prussian Jewish congregants of Ohabei Shalom.
1894 Mishkan Israel and Shaarei Tefila merge to form Congregation Mishkan Tefila.
1955 Religious School moves to Walnut Street in Newton.
1955 Groundbreaking ceremony held on November 13th on Hammond Pond Parkway.
1958 First services held in new building.


Footnote

1 Information for this administrative sketch is from the following resources:

"Our History." Congregation Mishkan Tefila. August 10, 2010
(http://www.mishkantefila.org/aboutus.html)

Materials from the collection.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of annual reports, annual registers, play scripts, programs, event flyers, a history of the temple museum and the following publications: "The Jewish Center," "Mishkan Tefila News," and a yearbook.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into nine series as follows:

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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 Director of Library and Archives 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: reference@ajhs.org

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Related Material

Temple Israel, I-458
Temple Ohabei Shalom, I-459
Elihu David Stone Papers, P-555
Congregation Mishkan Tefila Archives, http://www.mishkantefila.org/aboutus_museum.html

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Congregation Mishkan Tefila (Boston, MA), records; I-462; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

Unknown. (CHECK)

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Access Points

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Container List

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

 

Series I: Annual Register, 1937.
Box 1, Folder 1.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with a copy of the Annual Register from 1937. The Annual Register includes information about the congregation's Hebrew School, Sisterhood and Brotherhood, clubs and classes, and is in Hebrew and English.
Box Folder Title Date
1 1 General 1937
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Series II: Annual Reports, 1969-1971.
Box 1, Folder 2.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with published annual reports from 1969-1970 and 1970-1971. Annual reports contain individual reports from the Board, Sisterhood and Brotherhood, the President, and Religious School.
Box Folder Title Date
1 2 General 1969-1971
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Series III: Brotherhood, 1975, 1983.
Box 1, Folder 3.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with programs for "The King and I," "The Eternal Flame: A Memorial Program in Observance of Yom HaShoa" and "The Music Man" as produced by the Brotherhood of Temple Mishkan Tefila.
Box Folder Title Date
1 3 Plays and Productions 1975, 1983
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Series IV: Brotherhood-Sisterhood, 1935-1938.
Box 1, Folder 4.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with play programs from "The Light of the Centuries," "The Golden Slippers" and the fifteenth annual benefit program for the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the congregation.

Box Folder Title Date
1 4 Plays and Productions 1935-1938
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Series V: General, 1925-1975.
Box 1, Folder 5.
Scope and Content:

This series contains invitations, programs for services, an autographed pamphlet entitled "The Boy of Okup: A Day in the Childhood of a Jewish Saint" by Mignon L. Rubenovitz (wife of Rabbi Herman Rubenovitz,) a program for a dinner and reception in honor of Rabbi Herman H. Rubenovitz, which includes autobiographical information and stories about his childhood and career, the Mishkan Tefila Wedding Book, which was published in honor of 66 Russian Jewish couples celebrating their anniversaries, and miscellaneous programs for other events at the synagogue.
Box Folder Title Date
1 5 Miscellaneous Material 1925-1975
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Series VI: Museum, 1975.
Box 1, Folder 6.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with a draft version of a document entitled, "History of Temple Mishkan Tefila's Museum."
Box Folder Title Date
1 6 History 1975
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Series VII: Publications, 1922-1923, 1959-1960, 1975, 1987, 1991-1996.
Box 1, Folders 7-13.
Scope and Content:

This series contains the publications, The Jewish Center, Temple Mishkan Tefila News, and a yearbook from 1959-1960.
Box Folder Title Date
1 7 “The Jewish Center” 1922-1923
1 8-12 “Mishkan Tefila News” 1975, 1987, 1991-1996
1 13 Yearbook 1959-1960
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Series VIII: Silver Jubilee, 1936.
Box 1, Folder 14.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with a program for the Silver Jubilee, in honor of Rabbi Rubenovitz and his wife.
Box Folder Title Date
1 14 Dinner-Reception/Programs 1936
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Series IX: Sisterhood, 1933, 1939.
Box 1, Folder 15.
Scope and Content:

This series contains one folder with a play written by Rabbi Rubenovitz's wife, entitled "The Miracle of the Ages: A Morality Play of the Twentieth Century," a program for the Diamond Jubilee of the Sisterhood in 1933, and a program for the sixteenth annual benefit of the Sisterhood.
Box Folder Title Date
1 15 Plays and Productions 1933, 1939
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