Manfred Swarsensky Collection

The bulk of this collection consists of letters Manfred Swarsensky wrote to Hanna (Hansi) Pollack Baruch, who had lived in Berlin until she immigrated to the United States, where she lived in New York City. She served as the president of the sisterhood of Congregation Habonim, and later moved to Alexandria, Virginia. The correspondence begins after Swarsensky left Germany and arrived in the United States in 1939 and continues through 1981, shortly before his death. He wrote just a few letters each year, but these letters usually contain very detailed updates on his life. The first letters provide a wealth of information about his immigration and his first years in the United States. Also included in this collection are several speeches and sermons Manfred Swarsensky gave and articles he wrote for the Aufbau in New York and the Wisconsin State Journal as well as a detailed account about his immigration, which he wrote shortly after his arrival in 1939. In addition, there are articles about Manfred Swarsensky and many obituaries. The only item that dates from his time as a rabbi in Berlin is an article about Pessach he wrote for the Juedisches Gemeindeblatt in Berlin in 1938.