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Guide to the Records of Meretz Relief Association, undated, 1893-2003
 
*I-217

Processed by Mary Chen

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 Mary Chen as MS Word document, January 2012. Finding aid was encoded by Marvin Rusinek on January 18, 2012. Description is in English.

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Meretz Relief Association (Boston, Mass.)
Title: Meretz Relief Association (Boston, Mass.), records
Dates: undated, 1893-2003
Abstract: The Boston Meretz Relief Association (Boston MRA) was founded by the Jewish immigrants of the town of Meretz, Lithuania, Russia. Officially incorporated in 1893, the Boston MRA was an association that celebrated their Meretz identity and heritage, as well as a humanitarian association dedicated to assist all Meretzers in need, whether in Boston or in Israel. This collection contains constitutions, meeting minutes, financial reports, correspondence, photographs (including photos of the Lithuanian town of Meretz and its inhabitants between the two World Wars), and miscellaneous historical information.
Languages: The collection is in English.
Quantity: 1.5 linear feet (3 manuscript boxes, 1 oversized folder)
Identification: I-217
Repository: American Jewish Historical Society
Location: Located at AJHS, Boston, MA.
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Historical Note1

The Boston Meretz Relief Association (Boston MRA) was founded by the Jewish immigrants of the town of Meretz, Lithuania, Russia. During World War II, the Jewish community of Meretz was destroyed by the Nazis.

Officially incorporated in 1893, the Boston MRA was an association that celebrated their Meretz identity and heritage, as well as a humanitarian association dedicated to assist all Meretzers in need, whether in Boston or in Israel. Among its projects were the Free Loan Association (1915/1916-1978) and the Meretz Cemetery Association (1914-1984). Some survivors from Meretz managed to escape to Israel, which prompted the creation of the Meretz Free Loan Fund in Israel. Collections were taken up to aid their fellow Meretzers in Israel.

In 1992/1993 the Boston MRA discontinued operations.

Chronology
1883 Boston Meretz Relief Association was founded.
1893 Boston Meretz Relief Association (Boston MRA) was incorporated on November 15, 1893.
1914 Meretz Cemetery Association was founded.
1914 The Ladies Auxiliary was founded.
1915/1916 Meretz Free Loan Association was founded.
1944 Meretz Free Loan Association Inc. was incorporated on February 23, 1944.
1951 Grandiose Banquet celebrated and raised funds for the Meretz Free Loan in Israel on January 14, 1951.
1962 Monument to the Martyrs of Meretz was dedicated at MRA cemetery in Woburn, MA on September 16, 1962.
1966 Death of Sarah Levitan, president of Ladies Auxiliary. Ladies Auxiliary discontinued operations.
1978 Meretz Free Loan Association discontinued operations.
1983 MRA celebrated its 100th birthday on June 5, 1983.
1984 Meretz Cemetery Association joined the Jewish Cemetery Association.
1992/1993 Boston MRA discontinued operations.

Footnote

1 Historical Note based on documents found in the Boston MRA collection.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains materials from the Boston Meretz Relief Association (Boston MRA), including constitutions, meeting minutes and financial reports (1893-1991), correspondence, announcements of meetings, bulletins and programs of special events (1908-1992), newspaper clippings, photographs (including photos of the Lithuanian town of Meretz and its inhabitants between the two World Wars), and miscellaneous historical information.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into six 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 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: reference@ajhs.org

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Meretz Relief Association (Boston, Mass.), records; I-217; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

This collection was donated to AJHS by Elihu H. Bell in 1985 with later accretions from Morton Rubin, 2003.

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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: Morton Rubin, undated, 1983-2003.
The Series is in English.
Box 1, Folders 1-3.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains the cover letter from Morton Rubin to the American Historic Jewish Society regarding his donation, Rubin's history of the Boston Meretz Relief Association (Boston MRA), and copies of correspondence with various magazines publicizing the now extinct Lithuanian town of Meretz and its famous descendants living in Boston. Also included in this series are two original undated documents, "Meretz and its Contributions to Hebrew Literature and Zionism" by Menaham G. Glenn and personal testimonies of Meretzers (fragile).
Box Folder Title Date
1 1 Cover letter 2000, 2003
1 2 Synopsis of Boston MRA 1987
1 3 Correspondence and documents regarding Meretz 1983-2003
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Series II: Activities, 1908-1992.
The Series is in English.
Box 1, Folders 4-6.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains announcements of meetings, bulletins and programs, a report of Jessie Sampter's visit to Palestine, dated January 26, 1925 (1 original and 1 copy), and documents regarding the Meretz Cemetery Association and the Meretz Free Loan Association.
Box Folder Title Date
1 4 Announcements of meetings, bulletins and programs 1908-1992
1 5 Jessie Sampter’s Report on Palestine 1925
1 6 Meretz Cemetery Association 1947-1993
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Series III: Meretz Free Loan Association in Israel, 1949-1951.
The Series is in English.
Box 1, Folders 7-10.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains correspondence with Yehudah Harry Levin (Counselor to the Embassy of Israel in Washington DC), various media for the publicizing of the Grandiose Ball, and donors to raise funds for the Meretz Free Loan in Israel. Also included in this series is correspondence with the New York MRA.
Box Folder Title Date
1 7 Announcements and fund raising correspondence 1951
1 8 Correspondence with Israel 1949-1951
1 9 Grandiose Banquet 1951
1 10 Correspondence with NY MRA 1950-1951
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Series IV: Governance, 1893-1991.
The Series is in English.
Box 2, Folders 1-9.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains the Constitution of the Boston MRA, a copy of the certificate of the Meretz Free Loan Association, MRA membership list, meeting minutes and financial reports.
Box Folder Title Date
2 1 Constitution of the Boston MRA 1893
2 2 Certificate of the Meretz Free Loan Association 1944
2 3 MRA membership list undated, 1975-1979
2 4-5 Minute Book and financial report [fragile] 1810-1914
2 6-9 Meeting Minutes 1965-1991
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Series V: Photographs, undated.
The Series is in English.
Box 3, Folders 1-4 and 1 oversized folder.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains photos of the Lithuanian town of Meretz and its inhabitants between the two World Wars. Among this series are: A photo of the Breakfast Meeting, a rolled photograph of the Installation Banquet of 1935 (fragile), and an oversized folder containing photos of banquets and picnics. The oversized folder is located in the mixed institutional collections oversized box.
Box Folder Title Date
3 1 Elihu Stone’s trip to Meretz and misc. undated, 1931-1932
3 2-3 Meretz undated, 1893-1930s
3 4 Breakfast Meeting 1969
3 Installation Banquet [fragile] 1935
Box Folder Title Date
OS Folder Banquets and picnics 1920-1930
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Series VI: Miscellaneous, undated.
The Series is in English.
Box 3, Folders 5-6.
Arrangement:
Scope and Content:

This series contains various documents in Yiddish.
Box Folder Title Date
3 5 Documents in Yiddish undated
3 6 Morton Rubin’s death 2011
   

This folder contains an article on the passing of Morton Rubin (August 24, 2011).
Reference material not included in original collection

  
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