Personal Papers of Herman Weinstein
Scope and Contents
The papers of Herman Weinstein cover the activities of a volunteer leader over forty years, concentrating mainly on the period from the 1960s to the 1980s. The main concentration of this collection is the record of Post participation in remembrance days for veterans. Veteran graves within Jewish cemeteries and sections of non-sectarian cemeteries such as Forest Lawn were marked with a flag on both Veterans and Memorial Day. This collection also provides member listings as well as a small amount of photographs that relate to participation in a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Other photographs relate to the more personal activities of Herman Weinstein within the Post and their internal events. A small amount of primary materials including correspondence, newsletters and programs were found loose in a scrapbook that was dis-bound due to preservation concerns. A large flag of Buffalo Frontier Post #25 is housed in 3.1, an oversized box. The papers of Herman Weinstein complement Buffalo Frontier Post #25 holdings within the Maurice Sands Papers, 1945-2013 (MS 200.21).
Dates
- 1966-2005
- Majority of material found within 1966-1982
Creator
- Weinstein, Herman (Person)
- Jewish War Veterans. Buffalo Frontier Post 25 (Organization)
Language of Materials
Collection material in English.
Terms of Access
The Personal Papers of Herman Weinstein, 1966-2005 (bulk 1966-1982) are open for research. Restrictions regarding access govern usage of a small amount of this collection.
Copyright
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
Historical Note
Herman Weinstein was a Commander of the Jewish War Veterans, Buffalo Frontier Post 25, from 1981 to 1982. He served from 1940 to 1945 in the 84th Infantry, 79th Division, where he was wounded in France in December 1944, becoming a highly decorated serviceman. On his return to Buffalo, he joined the local Jewish War Veterans and remained active within the organization in various capacities until his death in 2005.
Buffalo Frontier Post #25 is an active organization in the Veteran (Jewish and non-Jewish) community. Members work in various volunteer capacities at the local Veterans Hospital fundraising for equipment and special program services, providing nurses aid support, organizing Christmas Party events, distributing cakes and gifts for patients’ birthdays, delivering books and magazines to the hospital and general visiting. Similar services have also been provided at local geriatric facilities including Weinberg Campus and its forerunner, Rosa Coplon Old Jewish Folks Home.
Buffalo Frontier Post #25 (JWVBF#25) has its roots in an earlier post formed in 1927. At that time, Sol Feldman organized a Jewish War Veterans Post with a different name: JWV Louis Marshall Post. As this name was already in use by another group, National JWV issued a charter in the name of Buffalo Frontier Post #25 in 1929. With this two-year delay, Buffalo Frontier Post #25, dates its official beginnings from 1929, and celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2009. Although this post has a continual history from this time, it was not the only JWV post in Buffalo. At one time another post: JWV Post 259 was active, however this post eventually merged with Post 25. Post 259 was formed immediately after WWII when the ranks of the JWV swelled and there was a need for two posts.
In 1935, with the assistance of Erie County, JWVBF#25 acquired its own cemetery plot in a section of Temple Beth El Cemetery located on Pine Hill, in Cheektowaga, New York. The plaque was dedicated on May 30, 1935 for the Jewish War Veterans of Erie County who served their country through seven wars. In 1941, the 46th National Encampment of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States met in Buffalo, in August. Benjamin Kaufman (a Buffalo native) and a national commander of the organization during the encampment in 1941, presented a checked for $50,000 to Bell Aircraft for the purchase of P-39 fighter plane for the war effort.
During the 1930s to 1940s, Buffalo Frontier Post #25 maintained an office and meeting place at a building located at Herkimer and Grant. During the 1950s the Post moved to various locations including 277 Linwood Avenue and later rented a smaller facility at 576 Taunton Place. When the building on Taunton was destroyed by fire in the late 1950s, meetings continued at Temple Sinai at 50 Alberta Drive, Amherst, NY.
In 1961, Buffalo Frontier Post #25 purchased 1460 Hertel Avenue and continued to meet at the building for the next twenty years. This site was eventually sold on September 4, 1998. From 1998, Buffalo Frontier Post #25 met at the veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 416 building at 18 E. Spring Street in Williamsville. From the 2000s, the post began to meet at the former Temple Beth Am (now Congregation Shir Shalom) on Sheridan Drive in Williamsville.
A high point in the Post history was a dinner dance at the Hotel Statler Ballroom in honor of the post’s 25th anniversary with guest speaker, Eleanor Roosevelt. In November 1995, the Post organized a special program for the 50th anniversary of WWII and in 1996 another significant program for the hundredth anniversary of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States. In 2009, the Buffalo Frontier Post celebrated its 80th Anniversary.
Extent
3 Linear Feet (1 manuscript box, 1 half manuscript box, 1 oversize box, 1 oversize envelope)
Abstract
Organizational and personal papers documenting aspects of Jewish War Veterans, Post 25 and the role of Herman Weinstein. Materials include minutes, newsletters, programs, financial statements, clippings, photographs and material culture.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in four series as follows:
- Scrapbook
- Administrative and Legal
- Member Lists
- Material Culture
Acquisition Information
Sara Weinstein donated the Buffalo Post #25, Jewish War Veteran materials of her husband Herman Weinstein in June 2015. The papers were arranged in February 2016 and deposited at the University Archives, Special Collections by the Jewish Buffalo Archives Project in February 2016.
The Jewish Buffalo Archives Project was founded in late 2007 under the auspices of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Buffalo with a seed grant from the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies. The Archives Project collects mainly twentieth century documentation relating to the diverse histories, religious traditions and cultures of Jewish communities within the Greater Buffalo area of Western New York, encompassing the geographic areas of Erie and Niagara Counties and partners with the University Archives at the University at Buffalo to make these records accessible.
The arrangement and description of the papers of Herman Weinstein was made possible by funding obtained through the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.
Accruals and Additions
Accruals are not expected to this collection.
Processing Information
Collection was processed by Chana Revell Kotzin in February 2016. Finding aid encoded by University Staff, March 2016.
- Awards Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Buffalo Jewish Review
- Clippings (information artifacts) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Ephemera Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fliers (printed matter) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Jewish Buffalo Archives Project
- Jewish War Veterans. Buffalo Frontier Post 25
- Jews -- New York (State) -- Buffalo Region -- Archives Subject Source: Local sources
- Jews -- New York (State) -- Western New York Region -- Religion Subject Source: Local sources
- Jews -- New York (State) -- Western New York Region -- Social life and customs Subject Source: Local sources
- Judaism -- United States -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Maps (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Material culture Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Newsletters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Pamphlets Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Plats (maps) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Programs (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Temple Beth Am (Buffalo, N.Y.)
- Temple Beth El (Buffalo, N.Y.)
Source
- University Archives (Repository, Organization)
- Jewish Buffalo Archives Project (Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Personal Papers of Herman Weinstein
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid was finalized by Chana Revell Kotzin.
- Date
- March 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives Repository
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2916
716-645-3714 (Fax)
lib-archives@buffalo.edu