Finding aid for the Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast Records


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Prepare the Way
Title: Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast Records
Dates: 1965-1995
Extent: 0.20 linear feet (1 container)
Abstract: The Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast is believed to be the first Cleveland, Ohio, Jewish content non-commercial weekly radio program. The first program aired on station WJW AM-FM in 1965, following an offer for airtime by that station's program director, Bruce McDonald, to Rabbi Daniel Litt of Beth Israel-West Temple. Weekly program content generally consisted of music provided by local musicians, cantors, and synagogue choral groups; literary reviews; poetry; dramatic readings; interviews; summaries of international, national, and local Jewish news; and announcements of community events. The final program aired in 1969. The collection consists of a list of contents of each broadcast, news releases, and a program history. The list of broadcast contents and participants indexes the audiotapes of the broadcasts.
MS Number MS 4824
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast

Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast (1965-1969) is believed to be the first Cleveland, Ohio, Jewish content non-commercial weekly radio program. In the summer of 1964, station WJW AM-FM program director Bruce McDonald contacted Rabbi Daniel Litt of Beth Israel-West Temple with an offer of air time, engineering support, and publicity for a half hour, non-commercial Jewish public affairs program. With the assistance of Rhoda Rosen, an all-volunteer staff was assembled, and the first program was aired 10:30 a.m., Sunday, February 28, 1965. The staff consisted of Rhoda Rosen, director and coordinator; Rabbi Litt, news editor and moderator; Dr. Reuben Silver of Karamu Theater, literary director; Cantor Irwin Bushman of Temple Emanu-El, music director; Glades Jacobson, publicity; Dr. Marvin and Ieda Warshaw, news coordinators; and Fritzi Wohl, music coordinator. Program budgetary requirements were met entirely through donations. Weekly program content generally consisted of music provided by local musicians, cantors, and synagogue choral groups; literary reviews, poetry, and dramatic readings; interviews with local and visiting scholars, artists, and public figures; summaries of international, national, and local Jewish news; and announcements of important community events.

In 1966, following the departure of Rabbi Litt from Beth Israel, his successor, Rabbi Frederick Grosse, became program director and moderator of Prepare the Way. Mrs. Rosen continued as coordinator and participated in on-the-air dramatic readings, news, and editorials. Program content shifted towards greater emphasis on understanding of Jewish holidays, customs, values, and laws; more in-depth news analysis; and Hebrew language instruction.

The final Prepare the Way program was aired May 11, 1969, shortly before Rabbi Grosse relocated to Arizona.


Scope and Content

Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast Records, 1965-1995, consist of a list of contents of each broadcast, news releases, and a program history.

The collection is of value to researchers studying local Jewish and public service radio programs, and, in particular, social, political and cultural interests of the time, as reflected in interviews with scholars, artists, and public figures on the associated audio tapes. These include Cleveland rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld, who discussed the civil rights movement; scholars Haim Rabin and Ellis Rifkin; Israeli playright and director David Alster-Yardeni; and Mordechai Namir, former mayor of Tel-Aviv. The list of broadcast contents and participants is particularly valuable, in that it indexes the audio tapes of the broadcasts, contained in Acc. A2000-001.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material

All photographs have been removed to the photograph and print collection. Audio tapes have been removed to the audio 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:

Beth Israel - The West Temple (Cleveland, Ohio)
Interviewing on radio.
Jews -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Lelyveld, Arthur J., 1913-1996 -- Interviews.
Litt, Daniel.
Namir, Mordecai, 1897-1975 -- Interviews.
Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast.
Rabin, Chaim -- Interviews.
Radio broadcasting, Jewish -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Radio programs -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Radio programs, Public service -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Religious broadcasting -- Ohio -- Cleveland -- Jewish.
Rifkin, Ellis -- Interviews.
Yardeni, David Alster -- Interviews.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4824 Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Louis Rosenblum, 2000

Processing Information

Processed by Louis Rosenblum in 2000

Detailed Description of The Collection

Prepare the Way Radio Broadcast Records 1965-1995

Box Folder
1 1 List of participants and contents of each broadcast, prepared by Dr. Leonard Singer 1994-1995
1 2 News releases 1965 1967-1968
1 3 Program history by Rhoda Rosen 1985