The Jewish Liberal Arts Club was founded as an all female cultural and philanthropic club in Buffalo eighty-two years ago in 1925, with the aim of providing a social and cultural outlet for women who stayed at home while raising their children. Meeting mainly at night, when women were free of their childcare and household obligations, it prevented isolation and promoted friendship. The club was started by a small core of ten women led by Sarah Steinhorn “with a vision of self-culture.” A number of sub-groups or “units” developed over the years with the aim of offering “variety and diversity” to all its members. These “clubs within a club” were active at various stages of the club’s history and included (two) Bridge groups, (four separate) reading groups or book review clubs named in memory of past Presidents and historical figures, a Choral group (under the direction of Mae Heusler), a Discussion group led by Shirley Wolin and a Drama Club. At one stage there was a Garden group and a Needlework group. Apart from these sub-groups activities, the Jewish Liberal Arts Club arranged for a numbers of speakers to present at club meetings. In addition, the Club put on plays and skits written by one of their members, Norma Berzon for the wider community. Beyond services for members and the internal life of the Club, the JLAC maintained a wider philanthropic mission began under the first President of the club, Sarah Steinhorn. The Jewish Liberal Arts Club (JLAC) began with a fund to provide interest free loans and scholarships to the community including studentships at University at Buffalo and a scholarship to Jewish Theological Seminary. Other past recipients of philanthropic donations from the Club have included Bureau of Jewish Education Hebrew Speaking Camp, The United Way, UJF, The Rosa Coplon Home, WNED-TV, Channel 17, Buffalo Philharmonic, the now defunct Studio Arena Theatre, the Community Music School, Jewish Federation’s Project Renewal (1979-1980) and the Council for Christians and Jews. Funding the grants and donations to the club’s various causes was achieved in a number of ways, partially through subscription dues, as well as through an annual fundraiser event. During the 1940s and 1950s an annual musical event held a Kleinhans was the JLAC cultural event of the year. The JLAC sponsored artists including violinists Eudice Shapiro, Mischa Mishokoff and Oscar Shumsky, as well as Metropolitan Opera Company stars such as Eugene Lowenthal, Rose Bampton, Alexander Kipnis and Buffalo’s own Jewish star, Thelma Altman. Other opera stars also came including Regina Resnik, Leonard Warren and Blanche Thebon. After 1957, the JLAC held it’s annual fundraiser at “Melody Fair”, an outdoor summer venture held in a vast tent, near Wurlitzer Drive, Buffalo, NY. At these annuals, the JLAC was able to bring to town artists like Ginger Rogers and Joan Rivers to perform to the wider Buffalo community. Jewish Liberal Arts Club also contributed to the cultural skein of Greater Buffalo through musical arts at Kleinhans Music Hall concerts. As a result, the materials of the JLAC are slices of Buffalo Americana, as well as the records of a Jewish women’s club.