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Descriptive Summary
Creator:	Jewish Counter Culture, collection
Title:	Jewish Counter Culture Collection
Dates:	undated, 1954, 1964-2002, 2009-2010 (bulk 1967-1972)
Abstract:	This collection includes materials documenting the activities and publications of independent and activist American Jewish organizations. Sample news publications from a variety of independent presses are included, as are a variety of home-published newsletters and flyers. The collection addresses anti-war protests and U.S. draft avoidance; American Jewish activism on Israel; feminist involvement in Judaism; socialism and radicalism; and international affairs. Materials include newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, news clippings, articles, limited correspondence, speech notes, reports, and flyers.
Languages:	The collection is in English.
Quantity:	3.6 linear feet (4 manuscript boxes, 1 oversized box)
Identification:	I-504
Repository:	American Jewish Historical Society

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Historical Note

The Jewish Counter Culture movement consisted of the struggles of Jewish individuals, the majority of whom were young people, not only to interpret and understand their past, but to evaluate and foster an appreciation for their future. During a tumultuous period in American history (1965-1975), student groups and community organizations banned together, found their voice, and produced publications that spoke volumes with regard to their beliefs, concerns, and commitment to paving the way for positive change. As these movements were inherently local in origin, the collection materials were created by many small contributing organizations. A number of the Collection's publications received articles from the Jewish Student Press Service, founded in 1970 in New York to provide articles to American Jewish campus periodicals. Many materials were created by Jewish students who brought their Jewish identity to the prevailing movement of campus protests and unrest. Independent organizations, generally devoted to local or liberal causes, also contributed much material.

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Scope and Content Note

The Jewish Counter Culture Collection consists of materials which acted as an outlet for creativity and freedom of expression. They also are a tangible representation of history and anthropology. Among the wide range of topics covered in this collection are the following: religion, spirituality, racial inequality, feminism, the Vietnam War, politics, bureaucracy, poetry, music, artwork, and the desire to actively pursue freedom and justice. The publications also provided an opportunity for organizations to announce rallies, demonstrations, concerts, lectures, and even group travel plans. Often working with very small budgets and limited resources, these dedicated individuals created and distributed powerful tools with which to explore and expound upon issues that are just as relevant and controversial today as they were 40 years ago.

Along with many publications (including newspapers, pamphlets, and flyers), this collection also contains organizational notes, correspondence, articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, and other similar items related to social commentary, international law, and personal faith.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into five series as follows:

• Series I: General Publications, undated, 1967-1980, 2001-2002, 2007
• Series II: Collection of Feminist Haggadot and Ritual Material on Women's Issues, undated, 1976-1980, 1984-1991, 1993-1995, 1999-2000
• Series III: Jewish Student Organizations, 1967-1980
• Series IV: Jewish Schools, undated, 1970-1979
• Series V: Miscellaneous Materials, undated, 1954, 1964-1986, 1994, 2002, 2009-2010

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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

The following collections in the AJHS archives contain material of similar subject matter to that of the Jewish Counter Cultural Collection.

Jewish Student Organizations (I-61)
Jewish Student Press Service Records (I-248)
Meyer Greenberg Papers (P-358)
North American Jewish Students Appeal (I-338, I-338A)
Riv-Ellen Prell Papers (P-795)
Ruth Abusch-Magder Papers (P-841)

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Jewish Counter Culture Collection; I-504; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

Collection donated by:
Isa Aron
Elaine Barnatt-Goldstein
R. Laurence Edwards
Shira Epstein
Brenda Gevertz
Lori Lefkovitz
Beth Packman
Riv-Ellen Prell
Deborah G. Roher
David Roskies
Jane Rothstein
Ida Schwarcz
Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Steve Shaw
Shelly Tenenbaum
Suzi Wizowaty
Meredith Woocher
Bob Zacks
Jewish Student Press Services (Daniel Treiman)
Unknown donor

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Access Points

• Subject Topics:

  • Alternative mass media
  • Counterculture
  • Hippies--Religious life
  • Jewish newspapers
  • Jewish periodicals
  • Jewish press
  • Jewish radicals
  • Jewish socialists
  • Jews--Intellectual life
  • Jews--Politics and government
  • Radicalism--United States
  • Student movements
  • Student publications

• Document types:

  • Fliers
  • Newsletters
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Publications
  • Reports
  • Speeches

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Container List

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

Series I: General Publications, undated, 1967-1980, 2001-2002, 2007.
The Series is in English.
Boxes 1 (oversized), 2, and 3 (folders 1-12).
Arrangement: Publications are arranged into two groups principally by size (oversized newsprint and pamphlets), then alphabetical by title within each group.
Scope and Content: This series includes newsprint, journals, pamphlets, and magazines on current events that affected the Jewish community, the views of Jews from different political and cultural traditions, and the activities of general Jewish organizations. The publications are produced by activist groups, university student Jewish organizations, and for-profit presses. Most publications were intended for a wide audience beyond the members of the publishing organization. Publications arranged alphabetically by title.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
1	1	Bas-Kol (Brooklyn, NY)	1970
1	1	Coexistence (London, U.K.)	1970
1	1	Dawn (New York, NY)	1970
1	1	Elul (London, U.K.)	1971-1972
1	1	Exodus II (Little Neck, NY)	undated
1	1	Fourth World (Ontario, Canada)	1971
1	2	Golem (Jerusalem, Israel)	1970
1	2	Hamagen (New York, NY)	1972
1	2	Hevra (Montreal, Canada)	1972
1	2	Masada (Toronto, Canada)	1970-1972
1	3	OR (Toronto, Canada)	1970-1971
1	3	Other Stand (Montreal, Canada)	1969-1971
1	4	The Other Way (New York, NY)	1971
1	4	Shirayim (Ottawa, Canada)	undated
1	4	The South End (Detroit, MI)	1972
1	4	Survival (Melbourne, Australia)	undated, 1970
Box	Folder	Title	Date
2	1	Ba-Golah in Exile (Skokie, IL)	undated
2	2	Confrontation (Coral Gables, FL)	1971
2	3	Congress: A Journal of Opinion and Jewish Affairs (New York, NY)	1966-1967
2	3a	Conservative Judaism (New York, NY)	1974
2	4	Dissent (New York, NY)	1967
2	5	The Electric Jew (New York, NY)	1969
2	6	Encounter (London, U.K.)	1968
2	7	Encounters in the Month of Elul (Philadelphia, PA)	1971-1973
2	8	Fabrangen (Washington, DC)	2007
2	9	Friends of Jewish Students North American Jewish Students Appeal, New York, NY)	1972
2	10	Heeb: The New Jew Review (New York, NY)	2002
2	11	InterChange (Breira of New York, NY)	1976-1977
2	12	Israel and the New Left (Tel Aviv, Israel)	undated, 1970
2	12a	Israel Horizons (New York, NY)	1984
2	13	Jewish Currents (New York, NY)	1967-1968
2	14	Jewish Socialist Critique (Berkeley, CA)	1979-1980
2	15	Jewish Student Press Digest (New York, NY)	1972
2	16	JTA Daily News Bulletin (New York, NY)	1969
2	17	Levels Magazine (Syracuse, NY)	1968
2	18	Liberation (New York, NY)	1967
2	19	Lillit (Jerusalem, Israel)	1971
2	20	Menorah (Washington D.C.)	1982-1985
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	1	The Minority of One (New York, NY)	1967
3	2	Muslim News International (Pakistan)	1969
3	3	New Left Review (London, U.K.)	1967
3	4	New Politics (New York, NY)	1967
3	5	New University Thought (Detroit, MI)	1968
3	6	News Views: United Synagogue Youth of the United Synagogue of America (New York, NY)	1967
3	7	Ramparts (San Francisco, CA)	1967
3	8	The Rise and Fall of the Sunrise Commune (Rockville, MD)	1979
3	9	Schmear the Queer (New York, NY)	2001
3	10	Shalom Dialogues (London, U.K. and Berlin, Germany)	1970
3	10a	Sh'ma (Port Washington, NY)	1974-1987
3	11	Tadmit Newsletter (Tel-Aviv, Israel)	1970
3	12	The Voice of ATID: The College Age Organization, United Synagogue of America (New York, NY)	1967

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Series II: Collection of Feminist Haggadot and Ritual Material on Women's Issues, undated, 1976-1980, 1984-1991, 1993-1995, 1999-2000.
The Series is in English.
Boxes 3 (folders 13-18) and 4.
Arrangement: Arrangement is chronological and by type.
Scope and Content: This series included Haggadot, prayers, newsletters, pamphlets, clippings, and articles relating to feminist and women's issues. Many Haggadot in the series are designed to be gender neutral and pro-feminist. Other materials discuss how Jewish law applies to women's issues, list Sabbath prayers for women, or address the growing role of women in the Jewish religious community. Materials arranged chronologically.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	13	Siddur Nashim, Brown University	1976
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	14	Blessing the Birth of a Daughter, Toby Fishbein Reifman and Ezrat Nashim	1976
3	15	Before There Was a Before, Arthur, David and Shoshana Waskow	1976
Box	Folder	Title	Date
3	16	Call them Builders, Reconstructionist Federation of Congregations and Havurot	1977
3	17	Tu b’Shevat Seder	1977-1978, 1984, 1987
3	18	Shavuot, Task Force on Equality of Women in Judaism	1978
Box	Folder	Title	Date
4	1	Yom Kippur, University of Chicago	1979
4	2	Haggadah, Women’s Institute for Continuing Jewish Education	1980
4	3	A Jewish Lesbian Seder, Bobbeh Meisehs Press	1984
4	4	A Women’s Haggadah, Oberlin College	1984
4	5	Articles, Lesbian Feminist Passover	1985-1986
4	6	A Liberation Seder, Goddard Community	1986
4	7	Brochure, Passover Peace Coalition	1989
4	8	Flyer and Introductory Remarks; Community Seder of Kadima, WA	1991
4	9	Women’s Seder, Durham, NC	1999
4	10	Passover Haggadah, Burlington, VT	2000
4	11	Shabbos Morning Davenin, Aquarian Minyan of Berkeley, CA	undated
4	12	The Stolen Legacy, A Women’s Haggadah	undated
4	13	Materials re: “Women of the Wall”	1988-1990
4	14	Materials re: Female Rabbis	1993-1995

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Series III: Jewish Student Organizations, 1967-1980.
The Series is in English.
Box 4 (Folders 15-17).
Arrangement: Arrangement is chronological.
Scope and Content: This series includes material on a wide variety of Jewish and liberal student organizations. Materials include flyers, correspondence, reports, newsletters, and ephemera. Topics include national organizations, liberal publications, the U.S. draft, Jewish welfare and charity, and university-student relations.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
4	15	Jewish Student Press Service articles and correspondence (including a list of publications)	1969-1971
4	16	B’Nai B’rith Hillel; correspondence and records	1976-1979
4	17	Jewish liberal student organizations; correspondence, ephemera, and publications	1967-1980

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Series IV: Jewish Schools, undated, 1970-1979.
The Series is in English.
Box 5 (Folders 1-2).
Arrangement: Arrangement is alphabetical by name of school.
Scope and Content: This series includes press cuttings, newsletters, internal reports and drafts, narrative accounts and correspondence from Jewish institutions dedicated to studying and teaching Jewish laws and traditions.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
5	1	Collection of Havurah School, NY	undated, 1976-1979
5	2	Havurat Shalom House of Study, Somerville, MA	undated, 1970s

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Series V: Miscellaneous Materials, undated, 1954, 1964-1986, 1994, 2002, 2009-2010.
The Series is in English.
Box 5 (Folders 3-16).
Arrangement: Arrangement is by type.
Scope and Content: This series includes some publications like those in series one, but mostly is composed of ephemera, correspondence, newsletters, reports, and clippings from a variety of publications. Subjects include opposition to the Vietnam War, International affairs, events in the Middle East, reports and speeches on leftist culture, and modern Haggadot. Items arranged by type and subject.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
5	3	Newspaper clippings (International affairs and the Middle East)	undated, 1966-1969
5	4	Magazine clippings and articles (International affairs and the Middle East)	undated, 1964-1985
5	5	Brochures, pamphlets, flyers, and ephemera	undated, 1967-1980
5	6	“Jews, Judaism, and the New Left” speech and article by Robert J. Saks, with his notes	1967-1968
5	7	The Radius Institute and the 92nd Street Y, brochures	undated, 1980-1986
5	8	Steve Shaw Collection on the Radius Institute	undated, 1970-1994
5	9	Haggadot, various sources	1971-2002
5	10	Sharon Girard Collection; Haggadah and Songbook of the San Francisco Kindershule and a family Haggadah	1954, 1985
5	11	American Jewish Committee Information Service articles	1967
5	12	Jewish Liberation Information Service; articles and correspondence	1971
Box	Folder	Title	Date
5	13	The Future of Jewish Peoplehood: A report from the Project on American Jewish Institutions of the Public Resource Center	1977
5	14	Tzedek Tzedek, correspondence, publications, event materials, and notes from a Washington D.C. Jewish community organization	1976-1978
5	15	Jewish Peace Fellowship, pamphlets on Conscientious Objection	2009, 2010
5	16	Havurat Shalom, Position Paper, Somerville MA, donated by David G. Roskies	undated
5	17	American Jewish Feminism materials, including clippings and articles	1974-1989

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