Guide to the Records of the American Sephardi Federation,
1972-2008
(bulk 1987-2004)

ASF AR-6

Series I: ASF Leadership, 1973-1978, , 1983-2005.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by title of folder. Arrangement of meetings is chronological by date.

Scope and Content:

This series contains the agendas, minutes and correspondence related to meetings of the governing bodies of the American Sephardi Federation. The series also includes election nominations, photographs and negative of various Boards and members.

There are very few remnants of the earliest meetings of the leadership committees of ASF, particularly those from the period of the presidency of Professor Daniel Elazar. Indeed, Elazar served as president from 1973 to 1975, and the earliest records derive from meetings held in 1975. This may have been because Professor Elazar was working out of Temple University in Philadelphia, and any records that may have been accumulated were lost somewhere between there and ASF's current headquarters in New York City. In any case, ASF appears to have undergone a re-organization in 1975, as reflected in the file detailing the activities of the "Ad hoc 'Think Tank' Committee" in 1975 and the first minutes of the Board of Directors meetings held in 1975. The remainder of the materials in this series are made up of minutes and records of meetings of the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, the Presidium, and the Steering Committee. All other committees are included in Series III: Administration.

The earliest mention of the Center for Jewish History in the entire collection is Leon Levy’s address to the Board of Directors on August 6, 1997, and Levy first voices ASF’s intent to join the Center at the November 26, 1997 Board of Directors meeting.

After 1998, there is a notable absence in minutes for both the Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings. For Executive Committee meetings there are only minutes between June 2002 and April 2003, and there are no post-1998 Board of Directors meeting minutes available with the exception of May 2004. The only minutes for the Steering Committee in this series are an October 2003 meeting.

Series II: ASF National Conventions, 1972-1975, , 1986-1998, 2003.

Arrangement:

Chronological by convention year, then further arranged alphabetically by topic.

Scope and Content:

The documents in this Series focus mainly on the planning and proceedings of the various American Sephardi Federation Conventions that took place in Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Jerusalem and Bloomingdale, Illinois between 1987 and 2003. While most of the material focuses on these large national conventions, there is also a single folder containing the highlights of a convention held in New York City in 1975. One also finds a few details of those conventions of the American Zionist Federation and the World Sephardi Federation wherein the ideas for the American Sephardi Federation were initially developed and discussed.

Prominent in Series II are the many records showing the organization and preparations that went into the staging of the national conventions. A large portion of the material consists of correspondence, and includes organizational correspondence between ASF convention organizers and the many caterers, travel agents, hotel personnel, performers, and members of the hosting communities who made the conventions successful. Correspondence also includes invitations to convention speakers and dignitaries. The planning material includes several forms from each convention, i.e., registration and evaluation forms. Other documents, such as schedules of events, programs, and minutes of various meetings are also included.

In addition to records concerning the planning of conventions, there is a large amount of the promotional material used, including information on the city holding the convention, press releases about the convention, and clippings and periodicals containing information or announcements. Other material of potential interest to researchers is the documentation of convention workshop proceedings and biographical material on speakers and workshop leaders. It should be noted that records from the Convention in Miami in 1987 are particularly effective in documenting the role of convention workshops in developing resolutions on Sephardic issues. Financial papers for most conventions may also be found here. Researchers should be aware that although there is documentation on the planning of the 1996 convention, this convention never took place.

The bulk of the material comprised by this series covers the years 1987 through 1993, although a small number of records are available for the succeeding conventions, in 1995, 1998 and 2003, as well as on the early conventions in the 1970s.

Chicago, 1972.

New York City, 1973.

New York City, 1975.

Philadelphia, 1987.

Miami, 1987.

Seattle, 1989.

Chicago, 1990.

Los Angeles, 1991.

New York City, 1993.

Miami, 1995.

Jerusalem, 1996.

New York City, 1998.

Bloomingdale, Illinois, 2003.

Series III: Administration, undated, 1973-2006.

Scope and Content:

This series reflects the daily activities of the ASF office and of the operations of the ASF in general.

Subseries 1: Annual Reports, 1973-1975, , 1988-1995.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 is composed of the annual reports of the ASF. The annual reports summarized the activities in which the ASF was involved during the year both culturally and politically. They encompassed events organized by individual ASF branches and by the Young/New Leadership Division as well. The annual reports also contain short summaries of past ASF National Conventions reports on the biggest donors and supporters of the ASF, and complete listings of the national Board of Directors and officers of the ASF.

Subseries 2: General Agenda, undated, 1973-2006.

Arrangement:

Chronological or alphabetical by topic.

Scope and Content:

The General Agenda subseries contains documents that were created in the course of the regular daily routine of the ASF office. It contains correspondence, memos, announcements, newspaper clippings mentioning ASF activities, photos from various events organized by the ASF, and a number of other documents created and collected by the ASF administrative staff or its officials.

This subseries is particularly affected by the varying schemes of arrangement. There was an effort to reconstruct and unify the arrangement for the bulk of the subseries, but this effort was not completely successful. As a result, some correspondence is organized on a chronological basis while the rest of the subseries is organized on a topical basis. Imposing topics in this case did not seem feasible given the limits on time and manpower.

Information pertaining to Sepharad ’92 will be found here included in folders from the years 1990 through 1992. Much of this material is correspondence.

This subseries also contains several folders concerning Liliane Winn, the second President of ASF, who was later known as Liliane Winn Shalom. Material in these folders dates from 1976 through 1982.

The ASF attempted to monitor the situation of the Jewish populations in the Middle East (most of which were Sephardi populations), seeking to intervene and win restitution in cases where lives, property or rights were put at risk. Information on this issue is also present here.

In the second grouping of subject files, C) Subject Files, ASF’s shift towards increased cultural programming, marketing and library- and archives-building is visible. Significant portions of these files deal with the Sephardic House merger. An events binder labelled “Programming and Mailings” and compiled by the Sephardic House has been parsed out into four folders.

A) Chronological Files, undated, 1975-2006.

B) Subject Files, undated, 1973-2000.

C) Subject Files, undated, 1986-2006.

Subseries 3: Sephardic Communities, 1987-1998.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by state.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3: Sephardi Communities holds newletters and announcements from the local Sephardic communities in several states. Communication with local chapters was maintained mainly on a personal basis with the regional director or a local member of the Board of Directors. For this reason, many of these communications appear in the General Agenda files in Subseries 2. Unfortunately, the information on the activities at the local or state level tends to be limited, and as a result, it does not provide much insight into the cultural and social composition or daily activities of these congregations and communities.

Subseries 4: Affiliated Organizations, undated, 1986-2005.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by organization name.

Scope and Content:

Retaining the original name assigned by ASF to this grouping of files, this subseries conceivably grew out of ASF’s efforts to cultivate affiliations and unify the Sephardic community, especially in tandem with the move to the Center for Jewish History. Some folders consist only of mailings and announcements from the given organization, but some carry correspondence, press, speeches and documents related to joint programming or exhibitions with ASF. There are documents pertaining to a 1992 lawsuit ASF filed against Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) over a curriculum project [see also CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education) – Correspondence]; Randall Belinfante’s talk, “Building a Sephardic Library,” given at the 2001 Association of Jewish Libraries convention; a sketch of Vivienne Roumani-Denn by Leon Levy in the World Sephardic Congress folder; a report on the impact of ASF’s presence at a 2005 Association of Jewish Studies conference; materials from many years of meetings of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; legal agreements for a cosponsored exhibit with the Smithsonian. There is no interoffice correspondence present among the Center’s partner institution files, only announcements and form letters.

Subseries 5: Center for Jewish History, 1998-2005.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by topic.

Scope and Content:

Within this subseries are materials relevant to ASF’s partnership with and move to the Center for Jewish History, including ASF’s original proposal to join the Center, joint meeting agendas, office layout and opening events. The ASF’s relocation to the Center meant an increase in cultural programming thanks to the availability of space for performances, film viewings, lectures and exhibits. The ASF opened a Sephardic gallery at the Center in September 9, 2001 with an exhibit of Spanish and Portuguese artifacts, “From the Beginning: The Sephardic Voyage to the United States.” See also Center for Jewish History folders in Series IV and Series III.

Series IV: Finances, 1976-2004.

Scope and Content:

The financial operations and the financial condition of the ASF are reflected in the material found in this series. The Finances series holds documents that are pertinent to the everyday financial operations of the ASF office. In addition, the annual financial statements and tax reports provide a complete picture of the financial functioning of the organization. Under the leadership of Leon Levy the actual financial administration was not carried out in the ASF office, but rather was administered by accountants at Leon Levy’s company - Urban Construction. Invoices and financial claims were dealt with by Urban Construction, and as a result, the series is relatively modest in size.

Only summaries of statements and reports on memberships have been retained in the collection. Individual statements, financial updates, and individual personal checks with members’ contributions or copies thereof were deaccessioned. Similarly, receipts, reimbursement slips, and utility bills from prior to the year 1996 were deaccessioned.

A summary of donations and contributions is available in Series VIII: Mailing Lists. Access is, however, restricted.

Subseries 1: Annual Financial Statements, 1976-1998.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

This subseries is composed of annual financial reports as prepared by the accounting firm Frank & Zimmerman & Company LLP and presented as an independent audit. These reports display the economic health of the ASF and were compiled from the materials used for the tax reports and analysis of ASF economic activities. The annual reports documented financial assets of the ASF, its liabilities, revenues, expenses and changes in fund balances. Most of the reports are bound. The last audit was performed in 1998.

Subseries 2: Tax Returns, 1976, 1984-1998.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Tax returns constitute the second subseries of Series VI: Finances. The tax returns were usually created by the accounting firm Frank & Zimmerman & Company LLP. Some returns are appended with background material that documents the legal status and character of the ASF as a non-profit organization.

Subseries 3: General Financial Documentation, 1976-2004.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by topic or type of record.

Scope and Content:

This subseries documents the financial activities of the ASF, including fund-raising operations, reports about the state of its accounts, and background materials for preparation of the ASF budget and audits. The monthly account reports on ASF accounts until 1996 were discarded together with various receipts for utilities and services.

Series V: Young Leadership Division, undated, 1973-1978, , 1987-1998.

Arrangement:

Chronological by division, then alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

This series contains records of ASF’s Young Leadership Development Division, or as they were alternatively called, the New Leadership Development Division. This division was a smaller group within ASF intended for younger adults, ages 25 to 35. In the early 1990s the Young Leadership Division changed its name to the New Leadership Division, although the exact date when this occurred is unclear (perhaps Winter 1993). After this time period, both names are used for the group. Most documents in this series focus on events conducted by the group.

A major focus of both the Young Leadership and the New Leadership Divisions was the "Sephardic Impact," the annual trip to Washington to speak with members of Congress concerning issues affecting Sephardic Jews. This program was conducted annually during the years 1990 through 1993. The "Sephardic Impact" required a great deal of planning, and consequently there is a large amount of material detailing the trips. In addition to information on planning, such as notes, correspondence, itineraries, financial documents, and information on participants, the material also includes background information on political issues that were discussed with Congress members. There is also biographical material on Congressmen and women and details of their earlier legislative activities.

Another well-documented topic in this series is the Moreshet Program, which was a leadership training event for young Sephardic leaders that took place in 1991. The material on this program includes correspondence and notes on its planning, applications, and discussion material.

Series VI: Events, 1987-2008.

Scope and Content:

This series consists of materials related to the planning and execution of ASF-sponsored cultural programming and trips.

Subseries 1: Tours and Travel, undated, 1987-1997.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by topic or trip destination.

Scope and Content:

This subseries focuses on the tours and trips arranged by the ASF for its members. The greater part of the subseries deals with the Sephardi Odyssey, but there is also some information on other trips taken, such as to the Caribbean, Israel, Morocco, and Turkey (1993) and to Yemen in 1989.

The Sephardi Odyssey occurred in August 1992, and was a “Return to Your Roots” tour to places of historical interest to Sephardim. It originated in Morocco and continued through Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Israel. Documentation includes correspondence regarding the organization of the event, as well as several proposals to ASF by various travel agencies. There is also information regarding destinations, financial documents, and details about the various ships ASF planners considered for the trip. Other correspondence includes reactions by participants to the trips.

Subseries 2: General Events, undated, 1986-2008.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

The ASF’s cultural programming decidedly intensified when they moved into the Center due to the availability of space for performances, film viewings, lectures and exhibits. Most, but not all ASF events are represented in this subseries. Some events are well documented here in correspondence, speeches, invoices, sign-in sheets, programs and pamphlets created in connection with each event, but many events are only represented by announcements and invites. A number of events were cosponsored with other organizations, especially Sephardic House. The highest volume of folders are for events in 2001.

Some items of particular salience include a 17-page account of one man’s experience of September 11, 2001 while on the Sephardic Solidarity Mission to Israel and photographs and personal stories gathered for Celebrating the Sephardic Women in 2000.

Series VII: Reference Files, undated, 1970-2000,  (bulk 1988-1997).

Scope and Content:

Series VII: Reference Files brings together a wide variety of materials that may have been used for reference in the office of the ASF. Materials in this series seem to have been collected by or sent to ASF staff.

Subseries 1: Country Files, undated, 1970-1996,  (bulk 1987-1996).

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by name of country or region.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1: Country Files contains materials on Sephardic Jews in various places around the world. There is also information about the Sephardim who settled in the USA, and kept the traditions or customs from their country of origin alive in the new country. The folders are arranged according to country of origin or residence of the Sephardic Jews. The documents often include newspaper or magazine articles, newspaper clippings, or handouts and leaflets published by various interest groups. Some of the clippings are of an anthropological nature, while others focus on political material and can be linked to the political activities of the ASF. Notable among the political material are details of the campaign for freeing the Syrian Jews in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Much information is also available on Israel, including Sephardim in Israel, Israeli politics, and the political relationship between Israel and the United States.

Subseries 2: Culture Files, undated, 1980-1998 , (bulk 1988-1997).

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by topic.

Scope and Content:

This subseries focuses on informational materials of a cultural nature. Files on performers of Sephardic and Ladino music can be found here, as well as orders for books that were sold through the ASF office. Also included are a number of short outlines of Sephardic history. Subseries 2: Culture Files also contains information on movies related to Sephardic culture or lifestyle by directors from the USA, Israel, or the countries of the Middle East.

Subseries 3: Organization Files, undated, 1975-2000 , (bulk 1990-1997).

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by name of organization.

Scope and Content:

This subseries contains material that did not originate with ASF, is not explicitly addressed to ASF, and does not pertain directly to ASF. The bulk of it is made up of production publications or statements issued by various associations, mainly Jewish, that did not necessarily maintain regular communications with ASF. The documents found a place in the ASF collection in various ways both as solicited and unsolicited information sent to its office.

Series VIII: Mailing Lists, undated, 1987-2004.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical. This series includes oversized folders that are separated from the rest of the series.

Scope and Content:

This series is primarily made up of mailing lists used for informational purposes by ASF. The forms in “ASF with Sephardic House Membership List and Forms 2002-2004” include demographic questions regarding languages spoken and family’s country of origin. Donation data may be found in lists concerning ASF membership or contributions, especially in the folders marked "ASF Membership - Donations and Dues History." Researchers should be aware that this series contains material which may be restricted.