Archival & Manuscript Collections

The Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Buffalo records consist primarily of records documenting the activities of the Bureau, a non-profit community-based educational institution.

Collection includes a minute book, ephemera, and material relating to the religious and administrative and cultural activities of the synagogue also known as the Jefferson Shul. Materials relating to preservation campaigns includes clippings and reports.

Organizational papers documenting aspects of the congregational life of Congregation Kehilat Shalom. Materials include minutes, newsletters, programs, financial statements, video, ritual Judaica, and clippings.

Arnold and Ruth Fernandez papers, document Temple Beth Zion’s Brotherhood’s and Sisterhood’s administrative and its members’ synagogue activities.

Personal papers documenting aspects of Jewish community in Buffalo and Niagara Falls collected by Charlotte E. Gendler. Material includes minutes, newsletters, programs, photographs, and newspaper clippings relating to Temple Beth David-Ner Israel and other institutions.

The records of the Niagara Falls chapter of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, document both organizational and individual activities.

These are the personal papers documenting a segment of the life of local communal leader, Ralph L. Halpern. materials include speeches, and other material relating to his volunteer service in the Jewish community.

Personal papers documenting aspects of the final few years of an independent Temple Sinai, and merger talks with Temple Beth Am, to form a new combined Reform and Reconstructionist congregation, Congregation Shir Shalom.

Organizational papers documenting aspects of the work and history of the Hebrew Benevolent Loan Association originally known as Gemilut Chasidim [Acts of Loving Kindness] and its work in the development of the Buffalo Jewish community through interest free loans.

The records of Hillel of Buffalo, the center of Jewish life on campus, documents organizational, religious, and cultural activities of students in the greater Buffalo area.

Papers documenting aspects of the work of the Holocaust Resource Center, and predecessor committees associated with the Jewish Federation. An additional series documents refugee aid, and the Haven-Buffalo Jewish Club 1933, a German-Jewish Refugee social club formed in 1933.

Papers documenting aspects of the Jewish community in Buffalo and Niagara Falls through family and organizational donations.

The Records of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo in the Jewish Archives of Greater Buffalo. Included are the records of constituent agencies and member organizations of the Federation such as, the Bureau of Jewish Education, Jewish Family Services, the Jewish Community Center, Kadimah School of Buffalo, and the Rose Coplon Home. Records include minutes, committee reports, publications, correspondence, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Records of the Local Jewish Community in the Jewish Archives of Greater Buffalo include cemetery records, local temple and shul records, and Jewish organizations. Also included are material pertaining to deported persons and refugee matters, and the papers of Max M. Yellen and Dr. Gerhard J. Falk and Dr. Ursula A. Falk.

The papers of Prominent Local Jews in the Jewish Archives of Greater Buffalo include the papers of Donald S. Day, Dorothy Goldberg, Bernard Mandelkern, Morton Merowitz, Haskell Penn, and Milton Plesur as well as oral history interviews with other notable persons. Included in the collection are committee reports, correspondence, photographs, and citizenship 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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Temple Beth Israel (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) documenting aspects of Jewish community in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Material includes minutes, newsletters, programs, photographs and newspaper clippings.

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

Organizational papers documenting the religious and community activities of Temple Beth Zion synagogue. Includes photographs, ledgers, scrapbooks, correspondence, newspaper clippings, newsletters, flyers, certificates, architectural drawings and special format or oversize materials dating from 1864 to 2008. Includes materials created by auxiliaries, religious school, leadership, administration and clergy.