Archival & Manuscript Collections

Synagogue records of the Jewish Archives of Greater Buffalo. Records of Congregation B'rith Sholem (Pine Street Shul) and Temple Sinai include account books, record books, receipt and memo pads, photographs, deeds, correspondence, committee minutes, and bulletins.

The collection of Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Buffalo and Summer Camps Records contains a wide range of material, dominated by photographs and program-related materials for the JCC, Camp Lakeland and Camp Centerland. Also, contains correspondence, reports, publications, newsletters, and handwritten documents. An additional three other collections are included: annual Jewish community book fair records; Jewish Film Festival and Jewish Repertory Theatre records.

Records of the Jewish Federation and, because of the Federation's encompassing nature, the some records from affiliated and supported institutions. Local case files on Soviet Jewish immigration created by Jewish Family Service are included. The collection includes a file of the Jewish Federation's newsletter, Federation News.

The Jewish Federation of Niagara Falls administrative records including minutes, committee reports, publications, correspondence, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and photographs. Records of the Rosa Coplon Home are also included.

Personal and organizational papers documenting aspects of Jewish community in Buffalo collected and created by Jane Fischman, Renata Lefcourt, and Muriel Selling. Material includes newspaper clippings, newsletters, a scrapbook, displays and photographs.

Contains issues of The Jewish Journal of Western New York from March 2013 to the present.

Scrapbooks documenting aspects of the work of the Jewish Liberal Arts Club, a Jewish social and philanthropic women's club.

The Kadimah School of Buffalo Records describe the governance and activities of the school between 1959 and 2010 as well as pre-opening materials from 1958. The bulk of the material dates from between 1957 to 1989. The collection contains minutes and administrative papers, budgets, student and faculty related materials, publications and publicity materials.

Personal papers documenting aspects of the Women's Activity Group of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo and the Education Department. Material includes minutes, programs, photographs and newspaper clippings relating to several conferences and special events aimed towards women.

Personal photographs and scrapbook of a Jewish Youth group, Omega Kappa Zeta, and photographs relating to the youth of Samuel Korus in Buffalo, NY.

Papers documenting aspects of the social, religious and cultural life of the Suburban Congregation/Temple Beth Am (Reform) and Temple Sinai (Reconstructionist) synagogues within Buffalo, NY.

Personal papers documenting the personal and career life of local communal leader, Ethel Roblin Melzer. Materials include photographs, speeches, newspaper clippings, media, and other material relating to her volunteer service and professional careers in the Jewish community.

Personal papers documenting aspects of émigré and immigrant lives of Hilde and Rudy Miller and their family, friends, and foster family in Germany, England and America. Material includes German, US and UK government documents, personal and legal correspondence and photographs.

Personal papers documenting aspects of local communal leader Morris Mesch. Materials include photographs, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera related to the community Holocaust Memorial Sculpture and volunteer activities and efforts.

Ecumenical materials documenting aspects of the efforts to place a historic marker to recall the events of 1825 when Mordecai Noah, American Jewish diplomat, politician and newspaperman made an attempt to found a refuge for persecuted European Jews on Grand Island, New York.

Student produced materials documenting aspects of the educational life of Ohr Temimim and its predecessor institution, the Jewish Heritage Day School, in Amherst, New York.

Personal photographs and clothing documenting Jewish youth groups (Omega Kappa Zeta and B'nai B'rith Youth Organization) in Buffalo, NY.

The papers of Rabbi Samuel Porrath (1908-1989) document his personal and professional activities in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York.

Personal papers documenting aspects of local community leader Rabbi Shay Mintz's work in the Jewish community. Materials include photographs, newspaper clippings, and other material relating to his professional career in several institutions including Shaarey Zedek, Hillel, and the Jewish Book Fair.

Records documenting activities of the Buffalo Board of Rabbis. Includes minutes, correspondence, newspaper clippings and policy documents relating to the activities within the Jewish community, broader Buffalo community. It also contains materials that deal with issues relating to Jewish life within the University at Buffalo.

Personal papers documenting demographical aspects of the broader Jewish community in Buffalo, as well as future planning for specific Jewish organizations as created by Kenneth Rogers.

The papers of Dr. Hubert J. Rubenstein documents his immediate and extended family's artistic activities and his own genealogy project that he undertook to document the extended Rubenstein-Maisel-Adler as well as other connected families.

Personal papers documenting the volunteer activities of Maurice Sands within two Jewish veterans organizations in Buffalo and Queens, NY. Includes newspaper clippings, newsletters, flyers, research and authored articles relating to Jewish War Veterans. Also contains information relating to membership of the Forum Club, a Jewish Men’s Club.

Personal papers documenting aspects of Jewish community in Buffalo collected and created by Muriel Selling. Material includes programs, photographs and newspaper clippings relating to Temple Beth David-Ner Israel, Temple Emanu-el, and other institutions and independent groups.

Personal papers documenting member and leadership experience of Elliot Shapiro at Temple Sinai in Amherst, NY. Material includes minutes, newsletters, programs, photographs and newspaper clippings relating to the cultural and religious life of this Reconstructionist synagogue.

Personal papers documenting aspects of the Ellis and Shatkin families. Materials include photographs and newspaper clippings.

Personal papers consist of research materials and maps documenting Jewish businesses and organizations that were located on the East Side of Buffalo during the 1930s. Also includes programming relating to Holocaust education. Programs, photographs, notes and newspaper clippings are included on other aspects of Jewish practice and history.

Personal Papers documenting aspects of the Small family in Buffalo, N.Y. Encompasses Alvin and Sylvia Small’s involvement in Temple Beth Zion and Alvin Small’s participation in local theatre for a number of different theater troops. Supplemented by Temple Beth Zion religious educational records relating to their children: Elisabeth and Bruce Small.

Congregational papers documenting the religious, historic and cultural life of Temple Beth El from its beginnings in 1847 until 2006 just prior to merger with Shaarey Zedek to form Temple Beth Tzedek in 2008.

Papers documenting aspects of Temple Beth Shalom, Elma, NY based at Camp Centerland, Elma, NY.