| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Workmen's Circle of Cleveland |
| Title: | Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Photographs, Series III |
| Dates: | 1930-1995 |
| Extent: | 0.80 linear feet (2 containers and 1 oversize folder) |
| Abstract: | The Workmen's Circle of Cleveland (f. 1904) is a secular Jewish fraternal organization formed in the United States to perpetuate Yiddish language and culture, support and promote a liberal political agenda, offer both health and death benefits, and provide a meeting place for fellowship. Its Yiddish cultural programming includes lectures, readings, concerts, third Passover Seders, and the I.L. Peretz Workmen's Circle School, a supplementary program for children. Following World War II and the Holocaust and the continuing acculturation into American life of the descendants of its Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrant founders, the Workmen's Circle, in Cleveland, Ohio, and nationwide, has been experiencing significant and continuous loss of membership. The Workmen's Circle's group health plan and death benefits, both of which are available on a non-sectarian basis, are the major source of membership. The collection consists of approximately 850 images of the activities of the Workmen's Circle of Cleveland, Ohio, particularly Branch 671E and the I.L. Peretz School. |
| PG Number | PG 560 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The Workmen's Circle of Cleveland (f. 1904) is a secular Jewish fraternal organization formed in the United States to perpetuate Yiddish language and culture, support and promote the liberal political agenda, offer both health and death benefits, and provide a meeting place for fellowship. Its Yiddish cultural programming includes lectures, readings, concerts, third Passover seders, and the I. L. Peretz Workmen's Circle School, a supplementary program for children. Branch 1030, one of a number of Cleveland branches, was the first English speaking branch and was founded in 1939.
Following World War II and the Holocaust and the continuing acculturation into American life of the descendents of its Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrant founders, the Workmen's Circle, in Cleveland and nationwide, has been experiencing significant and continuous loss of membership. The Workmen's Circle's group health plan and death benefits, both of which are available on a non-sectarian basis, are the major source of membership. These programs have had difficulty attracting members since the proliferation of health maintenance organizations and health insurance plans.
The Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Photographs, Series III, 1930-1995 and undated consist of approximately 850 images of the activities of the Workmen's Circle of Cleveland, Ohio, particularly Branch 671E and the I.L. Peretz School.
This collection is of value to researchers seeking illustrative material about ethnic and fraternal organizations in general, and in the Cleveland Jewish community in particular. The photographs primarily represent Branch 671E of the Workmen's Circle, one of several Cleveland-area branches. Researchers may also find the photographs of the I.L. Peretz School valuable, as they provide insight into the education of Jewish youths. The collection includes individual and group portraits of members and views of organization meetings, events, theatrical presentations, and activities at the I.L. Peretz School. Those interested in the role of Yiddish in the culture of Cleveland's Jewish community will find this collection useful.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 4026 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Records; MS 4891 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Records, Series II; MS 5088 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Records, Series III; PG 317 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Photographs; and PG 523 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland 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 ___ ] PG 560 Workmen's Circle of Cleveland Photographs, Series III, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of Workmen's Circle of Cleveland in 2006.
Processed by Sean Martin, Arthur Diamond, and Jessica Marra in 2011.
Series I: Individual Portraits ca. 1940-1993 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Fenton, Marilyn 1993 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Hoenig, Sheri undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Norr, Ida undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Schachner, Esther undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Stern, Frank undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Thomas, Norman (oversize photograph moved to Oversize Folder 1) ca. 1940 | |||||||||
Series II: Group Portraits 1930s-1994 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Bowling League 1953-1957 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Choir (Oversize photographs moved to Oversize Folder 1) undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Dinner undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Executive Board ca. 1940s | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | I.L. Peretz School Faculty and Staff 1992 1994 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | I.L. Peretz School Graduates 1957-1961 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Local Leadership 1940 1952 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | National Convention of Jewish Socialists (Oversize photographs moved to Oversize Folder 1) ca. 1930s | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Parents' Council 1955-1958 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Workmen's Circle Camp 1957 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Workmen's Circle Resort undated | |||||||||
Series III: Events 1956-1995 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Auction 1992 | |||||||||
| 1 | 19 | Bowling Banquet (oversize photographs moved to Oversize Folder 1) 1956-1957 | |||||||||
| 1 | 20 | Carnival undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 21 | Chanukah 1989 | |||||||||
| 1 | 22 | Chanukah 1994 | |||||||||
| 1 | 23 | Chanukah undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 | Concert 1990 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 25 | I.L. Peretz School Open House 1989 | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Nursing Home Visit 1994 | |||||||||
| 1 | 27 | Passover 1994 | |||||||||
| 1 | 28 | Picnic 1995 | |||||||||
| 1 | 29 | Purim 1988 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 30 | Sukkah Party 1993 | |||||||||
| 1 | 31 | Shtetl Hop 1994 | |||||||||
| 1 | 32 | Square Dance 1992 | |||||||||
| 1 | 33 | Sukkot 1990 | |||||||||
| 1 | 34 | Sukkot 1993 | |||||||||
| 1 | 35 | Third Seder 1983 | |||||||||
| 1 | 36 | Third Seder 1984 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Third Seder 1985 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Third Seder 1986 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Third Seder 1988 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Third Seder 1994 | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | Third Seder undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Workmen's Circle District Conference 1989 | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | Yiddish Concert 1991 | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Yiddish in the Park 1981 | |||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Yiddishe Cup Klezmer Band 1992 | |||||||||
Series IV: Youth Activities ca. 1950s-1994 undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Camp Vladek ca. 1950s | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Chanukah Decorations undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 12-13 | Children undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 14 | Classrooms undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 15 | I.L. Peretz School Graduates (oversize photographs moved to Oversize Folder 1) 1959-1978 | |||||||||
| 2 | 16 | Kinder Kamp 1990 undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 17 | Kinder Kamp 1991 | |||||||||
| 2 | 18 | School Year 1993-1994 | |||||||||
| 2 | 19 | Unknown undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 20 | Youth Group 1992 | |||||||||
Series V: Views undated |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 22 | Israel undated | |||||||||