| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Blumberg, Rena Family |
| Title: | Rena Blumberg Family Photographs |
| Dates: | 1904-1991 |
| Extent: | 0.40 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | Rena Blumberg, the daughter of Ezra Z. and Sylvia Lamport Shapiro, was a community relations director and radio interviewer for stations in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition, she won recognition as an author, lecturer, community activist, and business consultant. She was active in Cleveland area civic, cultural, philanthropic, health, Jewish, and women's issues. Blumberg published her book Headstrong in 1982. In 1999, she married third husband Bernard Olshansky of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, where she now resides. The collection consists of individual and group portraits of Rena Blumberg and individual and group portraits and views that include her parents, Ezra Z. and Sylvia Shapiro. Also included are individual and group portraits and views taken at the 1970 Cleveland Community Rally for Soviet Jewry, a 1934 group portrait taken at the dedication of the Hungarian Cultural Garden in Cleveland, and individual and group portraits and views taken at the City Club of Cleveland 75th anniversary in 1987. Individual and group portraits include David Ben Gurion, Zalman Shazar, Elie Wiesel, Charles Vanik, Richard Celeste, and Dennis Kucinich. |
| PG Number | PG 520 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
Rena Blumberg (b. 1934) was a community relations director and radio interviewer for the Cleveland, Ohio, stations WDOK-FM/WRMR-AM from 1972-2000. In addition, she won recognition as an author, lecturer, community activist, and business consultant.
Blumberg's parents were Ezra Z. and Sylvia Lamport Shapiro, important leaders of the Cleveland Jewish community. Ezra Shapiro (1903-1977) was an attorney, one-time Cleveland law director, a Jewish community leader, and an international Zionist figure. Sylvia Shapiro (1910-1989) served in the leadership of the Cleveland, central states region, and national Hadassah, and chaired the Women's Division of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. In 1970 the Shapiros immigrated to Israel. Ezra served as world chairman of Keren Ha'yesod [United Israel Appeal] until his death; Sylvia worked in the Hadassah public relations department and in 1981 was appointed chair of the Hadassah Israel Council.
A graduate of Brandeis University, Blumberg married Barry Newman in 1955, and gave birth to two children, Cathy and David, respectively, in 1957 and 1959. Divorced in 1962, she married Michael Blumberg two years later. Three years following the birth of her third child, Stuart, in 1969, she began her broadcasting career.
Her 1982 book, Headstrong: A Story of Conquest and Celebrations...Living Through Chemotherapy, documented her half-decade battle with breast cancer. The book brought her national attention, both through the media and on the lecture circuit.
Blumberg was also active in community service organizations involved with civic, cultural, philanthropic, health, Jewish, and women's issues. She was instrumental in the creation and organization of the three-day international opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1995) and the year-long events for the bicentennial of the city of Cleveland (1996). She was the first woman to serve on the City Club of Cleveland Forum Foundation (1979-1994), and for seventeen years chaired the fund-raising events for Providence House, a crisis nursery for abused and abandoned children.
In 1996 the Blumbergs divorced. Three years later Blumberg married Bernard Olshansky of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He had served in Jewish federations both in Cleveland and Boston. The couple currently makes their home in Chestnut Hill.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Ezra Shapiro
The Rena Blumberg Family Photographs, ca. 1904-1991 and undated, consist of two hundred thirty-nine black and white and ninety-eight color photographs.
This collection is of value to researchers seeking illustrative material on the Rena J. Blumberg and Ezra Z. and Sylvia Shapiro families. Individual and group portraits include internationally known figures such as David Ben Gurion and Zalman Shazar of Israel, and author Elie Wiesel. Ohio luminaries include Charles Vanik, Richard Celeste, and Dennis Kucinich. Also of interest in this collection is a 1934 group portrait of Cleveland notables at the dedication of the Hungarian Cultural Garden, 1970 portraits and views of the Cleveland community rally for Soviet Jewry, and the City Club of Cleveland 75th anniversary in 1987. Those studying the history of the Jewish community of Cleveland, Ohio, in the twentieth century will find this collection useful.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 4866 Rena Blumberg Family Papers.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 520 Rena Blumberg Family Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
These photographs were removed from MS 4866 Rena Blumberg Family Papers. Gift of Rena Blumberg in 2000.
Processed by Louis Rosenblum in 2002.
Series I: Rena J. Blumberg and 1938-1991 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Cleveland Community Rally for Soviet Jewry, portraits, individual and group, and views, including portraits of Elie Wiesel and Charles Vanik 1970 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Events, miscellaneous, portraits, individual and group, and views, including Abraham Lincoln awards and City Club of Cleveland 75th anniversary celebration 1985 1987-1990 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Family, portraits, individual and group 1938 1991 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | WDOK, portraits, individual and group, including Richard Celeste and Dennis Kucinich 1984 undated | |||||||||
Series II: Ezra Z. and Sylvia Shapiro ca. 1904-1983 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., events, including the Hungarian Cultural Garden dedication 1933 1956 1962 1965 1968-1969 1971-1976 1980 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., events (Talmud Torah class picture, undated, original stored in Oversize Folder 1) undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., portraits, group, including portraits of David Ben Gurion and Zalman Shazar 1934 1951 1961 1964 1970 1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., portraits, group undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., portraits, individual, including a 1936 pencil sketch (original stored in Oversize Folder 1) 1930 1934 1966 1970 1974 1978 1981 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Shapiro, Ezra Z., portraits, group, maternal and paternal families ca. 1904 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Shapiro, Sylvia, events 1969 1980-1981 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Shapiro, Sylvia, portraits, individual and group 1950 1970 undated | |||||||||