| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Bellefaire |
| Title: | Bellefaire Records, Series II |
| Dates: | 1868-1983 |
| Extent: | 1.00 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | Bellfaire was organized in 1868 in Cleveland, Ohio, as the Jewish Orphan Asylum. By 1942 it changed its name to Bellefaire and began specializing in the treatment of emotionally disturbed children. The collection consists of minutes, correspondence, an annual report, programs, legal documents, manuals, newsletters, brochures, booklets, conference proceedings, and publications. |
| MS Number | MS 4703 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
Bellefaire, a nationally known institution dedicated to the care and treatment of the emotionally troubled child was originally organized in Cleveland, Ohio in 1868 as an orphanage to meet the specific needs of the Midwestern Jewish community. Incorporated as the Jewish Orphan Asylum, the home was the result of the charitable efforts of the B'nai B'rith, Grand Lodge District 2. Several years earlier the Lodge, at its annual meeting held in Cleveland, Ohio, had made the decision to tax all members in the district one dollar per year "in order to create a fund which some time in the near future might be used for the organization of a charitable institute." The American Civil War and the problem of orphaned children which it created encouraged the B'nai B'rith to use their funds toward the establishment of an orphan home.
For 61 years, the Home was located on Woodland Avenue in Cleveland on grounds purchased by B'nai B'rith. By 1929, the Woodland Avenue site was no longer sufficient to meet the growing needs of the home, and new grounds were purchased at Fairmount and Belvoir Boulevards in University Heights. The new home, officially incorporated as Bellefaire in 1942, is still in use today.
For the first 74 years of its existence, the emphasis at Bellefaire was to educate and care for orphans as well as the neglected child. In 1940, with the election of Fred Lazarus, Jr. as the president of the Board of Trustees, Bellefaire broadened its objectives and began to change from a dependency institution to one which served children who could not be helped in foster homes, and who required a therapeutic experience in a residential setting. To further these objectives, Bellefaire began in 1941 to encourage families from outside the Cleveland area to send their children for treatment. The trustees of Bellfaire also elected to work with the Welfare Association for Jewish Children to coordinate their efforts through the Jewish Children's Bureau to insure that comprehensive attention be given to each child.
Over the years, numerous persons contributed to the successful operation of the Orphan Home and Bellefaire. Among these was Dr. Samuel Wolfenstein, who during his tenure as superintendent of the home actively sought to broaden both its educational and physical facilities.
Although Bellefaire is no longer an orphanage, many of the Home's traditions are recalled and discussed by the Orphan Home Alumni Association whose annual reunion allows past residents to see old friends and to reminisce about their years at the home.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Bellefaire
The Bellefaire Records, Series II, 1868-1983, consist primarily of minutes, correspondence, and publications.
This collection is of value to researchers studying changes in child care institutions in the United States, in general, and in Cleveland, Ohio, in particular. This collection will be of special interest to researchers investigating the evolution of Jewish orphanages as the numbers of Jewish orphans significantly decreased due to medical advances, the decline in the size of the Jewish family, and changes in child care practices. Of particular interest are the Board of Trustee minutes, 1868-1875, which document the earliest years of Bellefaire and the inauguration program, 1868, which includes a speech by Rabbi Isaac M. Wise of Cincinnati.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 3665 Bellefaire Records; MS 5100 Bellefaire Records, Series III; MS 4583 Jack Girick Papers; PG 154 Bellefaire Photographs; and PG 571 Bellefaire Photographs, Series II.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4703 Bellefaire Records, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Frank E. Joseph, Sr., 1983, Bellefaire, 1985, Sol Jaffee, 1986, and American Jewish Archives, 1989.
Processed by Stanley Lasky in 1995
Bellefaire Records, Series II 1868-1983 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Annual report 1877 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2-8 | Correspondence 1978-1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Inauguration program 1968 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Legal documents relating to Bellefaire and Jewish Children's Bureau 1947-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10-11 | Manual, administrative (incomplete), including history of Bellefaire and administrative procedures regarding children, staff, and personnel. 1947-1965 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12-15 | Minutes, Board of Trustees 1868-1875 1884-1894 1978-1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Publications, anniversary,(photocopy) including lists of present and former inmates 1893 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Publications, consisting of articles from issues of Jewish Orphan Home Asylum Magazine. 1918 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Publications, miscellaneous, including newsletters, brochures, an alumni publication, and proceceedings of a 1942 Bellefaire conference 1929 ca. 1940-ca. 1970 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Publications, miscellaneous, consisting of photocopies of booklets of photographs undated | |||||||||