Guide to the Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah
Book of Life,
circa 1915-1916
I-601
Processed by Rachel Brill
American Jewish Historical Society
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, N.Y. 10011
Phone: (212) 294-6160
Email: reference@ajhs.org
URL: http://www.ajhs.org
© 2019 American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Electronic finding aid was encoded in EAD 2002 by Noa Kasman in 2018. Description is in English.
Descriptive Summary | |
Creator: | Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah |
---|---|
Title: | Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life |
Dates: | circa 1915-1916 |
Abstract: | The Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah was founded in 1915 in Yorkville, Manhattan, NY, a unique combination of a religious school and Jewish community center. This collection contains pages from the Institute’s Book of Life, recording the names of people who gave donations. |
Languages: | The collection is in English. |
Quantity: | 1 folder in a shared box |
Identification: | I-601 |
Repository: | American Jewish Historical Society |
Location: | Located in AJHS New York, NY |
Historical Note
Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life
Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life
The Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah was founded in 1915 in Yorkville, a neighborhood in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, NY. In 1912, Kehilath Jeshurun, a synagogue on 85th street, began making plans to create the institute, having been encouraged by the success of a Talmud Torah (religious school) which was affiliated with but independent of the synagogue. Kehilath Jeshurun planned to open a Talmud Torah that also included a Jewish community center modeled after the 92nd Street Y. This combination of a religious school and community center was unique at the time. The Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah was located at 125 east 85th street In the course of its creation and construction, the Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah was renamed the Central Jewish Institute.1 The Central Jewish Institute was active throughout the 1920s. In 1937, it seems to have been replaced by the Ramaz School, a still-active Jewish day school associated with Kehilath Jeshurun.
References
- 1Kaufman, David. “Shul with a Pool: The ‘synagogue-center’ in American Jewish History.” Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture, and Life, 1999.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of around thirty digitized pages from the Yorkville Jewish Institute Book of Life. Books of Life are a relatively common method of fundraising in synagogues whereby donors get their names inscribed as a reward or show of gratitude for their generosity. Donors inscribed in this Book of Life include Kehilath Jeshurun president Harris Mandelbaum; prominent businessmen such as Harry Fischel, Jonas S. Scheff, and Israel Lidz; and the Social Welfare Circle and Sisterhood of Kehilath Jeshurun.
This Book of Life was desecrated with graffiti in the 1980s. After the pages were separated from the bound book and digitized, the book was discarded. Although the Book of Life itself is undated, two events occurring in May 1915 and May 1916 – the cornerstone laying and the dedication of the Central Jewish Institute – are noted in its pages.
Return to the Top of PageArrangement
The collection is arranged into a single series.
Return to the Top of PageAccess and Use
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
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known);
Yorkville Jewish Institute
and Talmud Torah Book of Life;
I-601; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY.
Acquisition Information
The Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life was donated by Sheila Bachman in October 2013.
Return to the Top of PagePreservation Note
Digitized pages from a Book of Life from the Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah. The Book of Life was desecrated with graffiti. Pages were removed from the bound book; contains approximately 30-40 pages. After pages were separated from the bound book, the book was discarded.
Return to the Top of PageAccess Points
Click on a subject to search that term in the Center's catalog.Organizations:
Subjects:
Places:
Document Types:
Container List
Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life, circa 1915-1916 | ||||
In English. | ||||
OS1F. | ||||
Scope and Content:See Collection Scope and Content Note. | ||||
Box | Folder | Title | Date | Request |
OS1F | 1 | Yorkville Jewish Institute and Talmud Torah Book of Life | circa, 1915-1916 | |
View the item |