| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Brith Emeth Temple |
| Title: | Brith Emeth Temple Records |
| Dates: | 1961-1986 |
| Extent: | 2.20 linear feet (3 containers) |
| Abstract: | Brith Emeth Temple was established in 1959 in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio, area. A need for a new Reform congregation was apparent when existing Reform congregations had reached membership capacity. Services were held at various sites until a permanent synagogue was built in 1967 at 27575 Shaker Boulevard in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone. The Parents' and Teachers' Association began meeting in 1959, and oversaw the Religious School, produced a yearly calendar, and hosted annual programs. The Brith Emeth Sisterhood took on traditional programming responsibilities, and was a major fundraiser for the building fund. Brith Emeth disbanded in 1986, principally for financial reasons. Park Synagogue purchased the Shaker Boulevard building and all of Brith Emeth's assets. The collection consists of constitutions and bylaws, minutes, financial documents including ledgers and reports of financial secretaries and treasurers, planning calendars, programming documentation, memorabilia and newspaper clippings. A major strength of the collection is Series II: Brith Emeth Sisterhood, and Series III: Parents' and Teachers' Association records. |
| MS Number | MS 4747 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
Brith Emeth Temple (1959-1986) was established when existing Reform congregations in Cleveland, Ohio, had reached their membership capacities, and a need for a new synagogue was noted by both the local and national Reform organizations. In 1959 a group of eight families met with Rabbi Philip Horowitz, then Minister of Religious Education at Fairmount Temple (Anshe Chesed), to explore founding a new synagogue. Rabbi Horowitz and Martin Friedman selected the name "Brith Emeth," or "Covenant of Truth."
By Rosh Hashanah of 1959, almost 300 families had formally affiliated with the new congregation. The synagogue services were held at the First Unitarian Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio, the Cleveland Heights Jewish Community Center on Mayfield Road, and Byron Junior High School in Shaker Heights until a permanent home was constructed. Architect Edward Durell Stone designed the synagogue built in 1967 at 27575 Shaker Boulevard in Pepper Pike.
The congregation followed Reform Jewish tradition. It established a "Ben/Bat Torah" program, similar to Bar and Bat Mitzvah. The Parents' and Teachers' Association was the first constituent group to be established after the formation of the synagogue. It began meeting in June 1959, and in addition to seeing to the needs of the Religious School, produced a yearly calendar and hosted several annual programs. The Sisterhood took on traditional programming responsibilities, and was also a major fund-raiser for the building fund. Brith Emeth disbanded in 1986 principally for financial reasons. Attempts to merge with another suburban Reform congregation (Temple Emanu El in University Heights, Ohio) failed, and Park Synagogue purchased the Shaker Boulevard building and all the synagogue's assets.
The Brith Emeth Temple Records, 1961-1986, consist of constitutions and bylaws, minutes, financial documents including ledgers and reports of financial secretaries and treasurers, planning calendars, programming documentation, memorabilia and newspaper clippings.
This collection is of value to researchers studying the growth and development of Reform synagogues in the Cleveland, Ohio, suburbs. Its strength is its Sisterhood records, which could be useful in the study of women's volunteer groups.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 5017 Brith Emeth Temple Records, Series II.
Separated MaterialAll photographs have been removed to the photograph and print collection. Films (8mm) have been removed to the audio-visual collection.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4747 Brith Emeth Temple Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Brith Emeth Temple, 1986
Processed by Jane A. Avner in 1997
Series I: Brith Emeth Temple 1968-1986 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Board of Trustees minutes 1972 1977-1981 1984-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Constitutions 1976 1980 1984 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Covenant, bulletins 1968-1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Membership lists (oversize material stored in Container 3, Folder 63, oversize materials) 1970 1973 1975-1977 1980 1984 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Miscellaneous 1969-1977 1980-1981 1984-1986 undated | |||||||||
Series II: Brith Emeth Temple Sisterhood 1961-1986 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Audits 1969 1971 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Ben/Bat Torah lists 1970-1971 1982-1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Board of Trustees, agendas 1966 1973-1974 1976 1980-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Board of Trustees, Executive Committee minutes 1964-1971 1973-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Board of Trustees, membership lists 1964-1969 1971-1976 1978-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11-12 | Board of Trustees, minutes 1964-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Budgets 1961-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Calendar of events 1975 1980 1983-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Coffee hours, correspondence, announcements and lists 1979 1981-1983 1985 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Constitutions 1965 1976 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Correspondence 1974-1975 1977 1979-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Debenture papers 1971-1973 | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Financial secretary reports 1978-1980 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Fundraising treasurer reports 1975 1977-1986 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Hospitality 1965-1973 | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Installation ceremonies 1975-1977 1982-1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Jewish National Fund certificates (originals stored in Container 3, Folder 64, oversize materials) 1980 1984 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Kitchen, blueprint (original stored in Container 3, Folder 65, oversize materials undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Financial statements 1967 1975-1976 1981 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24-25 | Ledgers 1969-1979 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Membership lists 1977 1979-1981 1984-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods 1980-1981 1983-1985 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Newspaper clippings ca. 1960-1986 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | Nominating committee 1971 1980-1985 | |||||||||
| 1 | 30 | Notebook of office, describing the duties of each office of Sisterhood undated | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 31 | Notes on Brith Emeth Temple Board of Trustees meeting 1980-1981 | |||||||||
| 2 | 32 | Ohio Valley Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, bulletins and correspondence 1977-1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 33 | Open meetings, minutes 1964-1970 | |||||||||
| 2 | 34 | Prayers 1983-1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 35-39 | Programs, correspondence and publicity 1964-1986 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 40 | Reports to the Brith Emeth Temple Board of Trustees 1963-1968 1979-1983 | |||||||||
| 2 | 41 | Treasurer's reports 1977-1981 | |||||||||
Series III: Brith Emeth Temple Parents' and Teachers' Association 1961-1986 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 42 | Board of Trustees, agendas 1975-1977 | |||||||||
| 2 | 43 | Board of Trustees, Executive Committee minutes 1971-1972 1976-1977 1979 1981 | |||||||||
| 2 | 44 | Board of trustees, minutes 1964-1966 1970-1979 1985-1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 45 | Calendar committee, correspondence and lists 1970-1978 1980-1981 1983 1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 46-47 | Calendars (oversize material removed to Container 3, Folder 66, oversize materials) 1967-1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 48 | Committees, minutes, reports and lists 1970-1971 1984 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 49 | Correspondence 1969 1971-1973 1975-1980 1985-1986 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 50 | Constitutions 1972 1975 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 50 | Parents' & Teachers' Association description ca. 1970 | |||||||||
| 2 | 51 | Financial records and ledgers (oversize material removed to Container 3, Folder 67, oversize materials) 1969-1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 52 | Jewish National Fund certificate (oversize material removed to Container 3, Folder 68, oversize materials) 1985 | |||||||||
| 2 | 53 | Membership dues, lists 1969-1973 | |||||||||
| 2 | 54 | Membership lists 1969-1981 1984-1985 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 55 | Nominating committee 1970 1972 1976-1977 1979-1981 1984-1986 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 56 | Programs, Chanukah 1973 1975 1977-1978 1980-1981 1983 | |||||||||
| 2 | 57 | Programs, miscellaneous 1970 1973-1975 1982-1983 1985 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 58 | Programs, Purim 1970-1973 1976-1982 1985 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 59 | Publicity 1968 1971 1973 | |||||||||
| 2 | 60 | Reports to the Brith Emeth Temple Board of Trustees 1961-1966 | |||||||||
| 2 | 61 | Religious school, curricula and lists 1974 1976-1977 1980-1981 1986 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 62 | Treasurer's reports 1969-1975 | |||||||||