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Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Finah Benevolent Association (New York, N.Y.)
Collection Title:	Records of the Finah Benevolent Association
Dates:	1937-2004
Abstract:	These are the records of the Finah Benevolent Association, a landsmanshaft or benevolent association. Upon the dissolution of the society, the records were collected by the New York State Department of Insurance. Although many of these societies were founded around the turn of the twentieth century, the records collected in this way primarily date from the second half of the century (1950-2000). The landsmanshaftn collections generally include constitutions, by-laws, minutes, correspondence with members, financial ledgers, deeds to graves, cemetery maps, and membership lists. For details on this particular collection, see the scope and content note.
Language of Materials:	English
Physical Description:	0.63 Linear Feet
Identification:	RG 1881
Repository:	YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

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Administrative History

Founded around 1930 in New York. Incorporated in 1946. The Association may have had a relationship to the Knights of Pythias. According to its constitution, its purpose was to foster voluntary benevolence among members, and to promote social intercourse by means of social gatherings, entertainments, and lectures. It purchased graves and functioned as a burial society. It used three cemeteries: Beth El (N.J.) and New Montefiore. During part of its history it held annual anniversary dinners at a hotel in upstate New York. Dissolved around 2004.

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Scope and Contents

This finding aid is a collection-level record. Box and folder list, if any, are found here in the scope and content note.

Box 1: Receipt for filing certificate of incorporation, 1946. Constitution and bylaws (typescripts), 1986. Ballots concerning amendment to constitution (regarding surviving spouse benefit), 2002. Bank  resolutions and signature cards (photocopies), 1984-1994. Cemetery deeds, 1937 (original), and 1939, 1948 (photocopies). Cemetery signature forms, 1983-2002. Correspondence with cemeteries, 1986, 1996. Cemetery maps. Membership dues ledger, 1974-2002. Materials related to 55th and 56th anniversary celebrations at Raleigh Hotel (South Fallsburg, NY), 1984-1985. Financial statements, 1987-2002. Check stubs, 1983-2004. Stamp. Box 2: Meeting notices, minutes, letters to membership (includes three texts honoring recently deceased members, under the heading “Portrait of a knight”), 1983-1997. Correspondence with members, 1993-1996, 2002. Membership list (prior to dissolution), 2004. List of members entitled to distribution, ca. 2004. Lists of grave reservations for issuing of deeds prior to dissolution, ca. 2004. Dissolution records, 2001-2004.

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Access Points

This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

• Geographic Terms

  • United States

• Topical Terms

  • Benevolent Societies
  • Burial Societies
  • Cemeteries
  • Charitable Societies
  • Fraternal Societies
  • Mutual Aid Societies

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