Finding aid for the Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, Ohio Records

History of the Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, Ohio

The Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, Ohio (f. ca. 1960) is one of numerous regional offices maintained throughout the United States by the national office of The Jewish National Fund of America, headquartered in New York City. The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 at the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, to purchase land in Israel. It soon became apparent that land development was essential for survival, and The Jewish National Fund's major activities came to include planting and maintaining forests throughout Israel; building parks and outdoor recreational facilities; preparing land for new communities, industries, and agriculture; and developing irrigation systems, dams, and reservoirs. From ca. 1916 to 1960, the work of The Jewish National Fund in Cleveland was informally organized and implemented by Jewish lay leadership under the auspices of the Cleveland Jewish National Fund Council. In approximately 1960 The Jewish National Fund of Cleveland was formally established. In 1995, the organization continues to engage in fundraising efforts including direct solicitation, honorary dinners, missions to Israel, and planned giving. The group also provides educational programming in the local Jewish day schools and religious schools. This programming pertains to Israel and particularly to The Jewish National Fund's role in assisting Israel.

Scope and Content

The Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, Ohio, Records, 1946-1992, consists primarily of honorary luncheon and dinner programs, correspondence, women's division records, and photographs.

This collection is of value to researchers interested in the American-Jewish community's financial contributions to Israel. The collection is also of value to researchers studying Jewish organizational life in Cleveland, Ohio, in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also see MS 3818 Suggs Garber Papers as well as MS 3827 Julius Amber Papers, and, in the Western Reserve Historical Society Scrapbook Collection, Scrapbook No. 203, The Jewish National Fund.

All photographs have been removed to the photograph and print collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4724 Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, Ohio Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Sam Hoenig, 1992

Processing Information

Processed by Marjorie R. Stern in 1995

Detailed Description of The Collection