In 1988 the Program Committee of Beth Am Congregation in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, established its Shabbat Library Minyan under the guidance of Rabbi Alan Lettofsky. The Jewish, lay-led havurah (fellowship, prayer group) met twice each month and offered members the opportunity to participate in prayer services and Shabbat in an informal and egalitarian way. In 1998 the organization separated itself from Beth Am, becoming an independent non-profit organization and moving its headquarters to the Jewish Community Center on Mayfield Road. In its new articles of incorporation, The Library Minyan's stated purpose was to promote traditional, egalitarian Jewish spiritual growth and Jewish learning.
The Library Minyan Records, 1987-1999 and undated, consists of agendas, articles of incorporation, budgets, bylaws, correspondence, guidelines, minutes, newsletters, questionnaires, reports, rosters, a schedule, and a speech.
The collection is of value to researchers interested in the formation and evolution of Jewish community groups and Jewish lay organizations and those interested in the history of Beth Am Congregation of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The collection includes correspondence related to the initial formation of The Library Minyan at Beth Am Congregation and also includes legal documents pertaining to the Library Minyan's transition from a congregational organization to an independent non-profit organization, notably the organization's Articles of Incorporation. Also of note are questionnaires conducted by Rabbi Alan Lettofsky regarding the ways in which members would prefer to be involved in the services. Those interested in the Jewish community and changing attitudes toward religion in the late twentieth century will also find the collection of value.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
The researcher should also consult MS 4895 Beth Am Congregation Records and PG 525 Beth Am Congregation Photographs.
Processed by Matthew Gauthier in 2016.
None.
[Container __, Folder __ ] MS 5379 Library Minyan Records, 1987-1999 and undated, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
Gift of Karen Schneiderman in 2001.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.