Jewish Community Center (Omaha, Neb.) [RG4209.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG4209.AM:  Jewish Community Center (Omaha, Neb.)

Records:  1926-1951

Omaha, Douglas County, Neb.:  

Size:  34 volumes on 6 reels of microfilm

BACKGROUND NOTE

The Jewish Community Center of Omaha was established at 20th and Dodge Streets in June of 1926, with the purpose of housing a wide variety of cultural, social, recreational, and other activities for the area’s Jewish population. For the first five years, the Community Center not only sponsored various programs of its own, but also acted as a clearinghouse for other Jewish organizations’ functions. Then in 1931, the Jewish Community Center officially consolidated its operation with that of two other prominent Jewish organizations, the Welfare Federation and the Jewish Philanthropies. The Jewish Community Center and Welfare Federation was the name chosen for the new amalgamation. Notable programs over the years have included the Community Forum, featuring renowned guest speakers; the Jewish Youth Council, dedicated to youth development; and the Philanthropies Campaign, which has administered the collection of funds for numerous Jewish causes.

Although the physical facility has moved to 333 South 132nd Street, the Jewish Community Center (now known as the Jewish Federation of Omaha) is still located in greater Omaha. This organization continues its active program as “an institution which houses all forms of Jewish activity and which brings to its doors men, women, and children for the enrichment of their personality and for the growth of their Jewish life.”

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consisting of records of the Jewish Community Center, Omaha, Nebraska, 1926-1951, is contained on 6 reels of microfilm, and is arranged in a total of four series within three subgroups. The first subgroup, Jewish Community Center, includes two series: 1) Scrapbooks, 1926-1948; and 2) Self-Survey, 1937-1938. The second subgroup, Jewish Philanthropies, contains one series: 1) Scrapbooks, 1932-1937. The third subgroup, Jewish Youth Council, incorporates one series: 1) Record Books, 1936-1951.

The bulk of this collection consists of scrapbooks (1926-1940, 1943-1946, 1948) in Subgroup 1 containing clippings, programs, and announcements covering a wide variety of Community Center activities. The clippings are primarily from newspaper publications such as the Omaha World-Herald, the Jewish Press, and the Omaha Bee-News. Most are identified with the newspaper title and date. Despite a lack of topical organization, the roughly chronological scrapbook entries illustrate the Center’s expanding role in the Omaha Jewish Community over the years, 1926-1948. Another series of scrapbooks in Subgroup 2 for the Jewish Philanthropies Program (1932-1934, 1936-1937) contains not only program specific clippings from the three newspapers listed above but, also correspondence of limited value. The Record Books of the Jewish Youth Council (formerly known as the Round Table of Jewish Youth) in Subgroup 3 cover the period 1936-1951 (some years missing) and contain useful materials such as membership lists, minutes, and correspondence arranged by section within each respective year.

This collection was loaned for microfilming by the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society in May of 1985.

DESCRIPTION

Subgroup 1: Jewish Community Center

Series 1 – Scrapbooks, 1926-1948

Reel 1

Volume

1. 1. 1926, June – 1927, Feb.

1. 1. 1927, Feb. – 1928, Jan.

1. 1. 1928, Jan.-Sept.

1. 1. 1928, Sept. – 1929, Apr.

1. 1. 1929, May – 1930, Apr.

1. 1. 1930, May-Dec.

1. 1. 1931, Jan.-Sept.

1. 1. 1931, Sept. – 1932, Feb.

Reel 2

Volume

9. 9. 1931, Dec. – 1932, Sept.

9. 9. 1933, Feb.-Dec.

9. 9. 1934, Jan.-Nov.

9. 9. 1935, Jan.-Aug.

9. 9. 1935, Sept. – 1936, Apr.

Reel 3

Volume

13. 13. (Continued) 1936, Apr.-July

13. 13. 1936, Sept. – 1937, Sept.

13. 13. 1937, Sept. – 1938, Sept.

Reel 4

Volume

16. 16. 1938, Sept. – 1940, Aug.

16. 16. 1943-1946

16. 16. 1948

Series 2 – Self-Survey, 1937-1938

Reel 4 (Cont.)

Volume

1. 1. Self Survey, 1937-1938

Subgroup 2: Jewish Philanthropies

Series 1 – Scrapbooks, 1932-1937

Reel 4 (Cont.)

Volume

1. 1. 1932

1. 1. 1933

1. 1. 1934

1. 1. 1936

1. 1. 1937

Subgroup 3: Jewish Youth Council

Series 1 – Record Books, 1936-1951

Reel 4 (Cont.)

Volume

1. 1. 1936-1937

Reel 5

Volume

2. 2. 1939-1940

2. 2. 1940-1941

2. 2. 1941-1942

2. 2. 1942-1943

2. 2. 1945-1946

2. 2. 1947-1948

2. 2. 1948-1949

Reel 6

Volume

9. 9. 1949-1950

9. 9. 1950-1951

ADDED ENTRIES

Jewish Community Center (Omaha, Neb.)

Jewish Philanthopies

Jewish Youth Council

Jews — Nebraska — Omaha

Round Table of Jewish Youth

Revised 02-25-2008   TMM