Processed by
Monica Casanova
June 22, 2007
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
In 1897 in San Francisco several Jewish women met to “promote sociability for B’nai B’rith members and their families.” B’nai B’rith was a national Jewish organization for men. Jewish women formed an auxiliary group by 1909. The first auxiliary group, Columbia Auxiliary in San Francisco, was headed by Sadie Meyer. In 1940 the national B’nai B’rith Women organization was born. The term auxiliary was dropped and chapters were adopted. In 1953 women delegates were allowed to vote in national B’nai B’rith conventions. By 1957 the name B’nai B’rith Women (BBW) became official. In 1996 the name B’nai B’rith Women was dropped in favor of the more inclusive term Jewish Women International.
Like its male counterpart B’nai B’rith Women was a social and philanthropic organization with a focus on women’s issues such as children’s welfare, domestic violence, and women’s rights. Locally, B’nai B’rith Women Chapter 324 was first chartered in 1941. The chapter folded in 2002. In its heyday local members funded programs (Dolls for Democracy) and organizations at home and in Israel. Other programs included Kiddie Kapers which sponsored hundreds of underprivileged children at theatrical shows in the area. Chapter 324 also helped fund The Residential Treatment Center for Children (Children’s Home) in Israel. Educational programs were also promoted. The first female Rabbi, Sally Priesand came to speak to its members in 1971. Another Chapter 924, the Menorah chapter, existed in the 1960s and merged with chapter 324. Most materials in the collection come from Chapter 324.
Sources:
Jewish Women International. “Our History.” www.jwi.org. Last accessed 22 June 2007.
Katz, Leslie. “B'nai B'rith Women Assumes New Name, Updates its Image.” The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. 22 Sept. 1995. www. http://www.jewishsf.com/ Last accessed 22 June 2007.
Materials in collection.
Manuscript Box 1 contains yearbooks dating back to 1962 through 1998. Issues are not consecutive. After 1962 the yearbooks jump to 1975. The yearbooks originated from the Menorah chapter 924 by 1982 (1980 and 1981 are missing) all the yearbooks come from Chapter 324.
Manuscript Box 2 contains yearbooks 1998–2002, a scrapbook from 1981–1983, materials from programs such as Kiddie Kapers, and awards.
Manuscript Box 3 contains operational records such as budgets dating back to 1963 and ending in 2002, board meeting minutes from 1978 to 2001, constitution, correspondence, bulletins put out by the chapter beginning in 1965 and ending in 1997, and newspaper clippings.
Manuscript Box 4 contains directories between the years 1972 and 1982, installation ceremony reports from 1967–1991, programs from the 1990s, flyers and invitations between 1973–2001, membership rosters from 1966–2002, past member information during the 1990s, informational materials such as the history of B’nai B’rith Women, newsletters from the national organization Women’s World from 1982–1996 (not all issues are included), various newsletters, brochures, a Domestic/Family Violence kit for rabbis, recipes, programs between 2000 and 2002, and miscellaneous materials. Miscellaneous materials include blank greeting cards from the Residential Treatment Center in Israel, a memo book for baby-sitters, a 1997–1998 memo and date book, and “I Believe” essay by Sally Priesand, the first female rabbi in the United States.
The oversized manuscript box contains five folders of scrapbooks from 1969 through 1974.
There are two document cases of visual materials. The black-and-white photographs contained in one are of events such as; Kiddie Kapers 1964, the International Evening 1964–70, and Programs from the 1970s to 1988. The color photographs in the other document case are from the years 1965 to 2002 and record the Kiddie Kapers, Programs, Supermarket Shopping Spree, Donor Luncheon, Woman of the Year, and the Children’s Home.
Artifacts include two tablecloths and one page of artifacts (seven Chai club pins on a ribbon, one 25 year membership pin, one 50 year membership pin, two club 10 pins, and one B.B.W. pin).
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Yearbook, 1962 |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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Yearbook, 1975 |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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Yearbook, 1976 |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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Yearbook, 1977 |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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Yearbook, 1978 |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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Yearbook, 1979 |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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Yearbook, 1982 |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
|
Yearbook, 1983 |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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Yearbook, 1984 |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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Yearbook, 1985 |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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Yearbook, 1986 |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
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Yearbook, 1987 |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
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Yearbook, 1988 |
Box 1, Folder 13 |
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Yearbook, 1989 |
Box 1, Folder 14 |
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Yearbook, 1990 |
Box 1, Folder 15 |
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Yearbook, 1991 |
Box 1, Folder 16 |
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Yearbook, 1992 |
Box 1, Folder 17 |
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Yearbook, 1993 |
Box 1, Folder 18 |
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Yearbook, 1994 |
Box 1, Folder 19 |
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Yearbook, 1997–1998 |
Box 1, Folder 20 |
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Yearbook, 1998–1999 |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
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Yearbook, 1999–2000 |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
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Yearbook, 2000–2001 |
Box 2, Folder 3 |
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Yearbook, 2001–2002 |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
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Chapter #324 Scrapbook, 1981–1982 (1 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
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Chapter #324 Scrapbook, 1981–1982 (2 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
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Chapter #324 Scrapbook, 1981–1983 (3 of 3) |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
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Kiddie Kapers, 1964–1970 (1 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
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Kiddie Kapers, 1970–1980 (2 of 2) |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
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International Evening, 1965–1970 |
Box 2, Folder 10 |
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Supermarket Shopping Spree, 1975–1980 |
Box 2, Folder 11 |
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Donor Events, 1976–1995 |
Box 2, Folder 12 |
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Programs, 1980s |
Box 2, Folder 13 |
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Awards, 1973–2002 |
Box 2, Folder 14 |
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Budget, 1963–2002 |
Box 3, Folder 1 |
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Board Mtg. Minutes, 1978–1982 (1 of 4) |
Box 3, Folder 2 |
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Board Mtg. Minutes, 1982–1986 (2 of 4) |
Box 3, Folder 3 |
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Board Mtg. Minutes, 1986–1989 (3 of 4) |
Box 3, Folder 4 |
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Board Mtg. Minutes, 1992–2001 (4 of 4) |
Box 3, Folder 5 |
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Constitution, 1998 |
Box 3, Folder 6 |
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Calendar of Events, 1981–1984 (1 of 2) |
Box 3, Folder 7 |
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Calendar of Events, 1984–2002 (2 of 2) |
Box 3, Folder 8 |
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Correspondence, 1971–2002 |
Box 3, Folder 9 |
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Newspaper Clippings, 1964–2000 |
Box 3, Folder 10 |
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Bulletin, 1965–1979 (1 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 11 |
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Bulletin, 1980–1989 (2 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 12 |
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Bulletin, 1990–1997 (3 of 3) |
Box 3, Folder 13 |
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Directory, 1972–1982 |
Box 4, Folder 1 |
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Installation Ceremony, 1967–1991 |
Box 4, Folder 2 |
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Programs, 1990s |
Box 4, Folder 3 |
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Flyers and Invitations, 1973–2001 |
Box 4, Folder 4 |
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Membership Roster, 1966–2002 |
Box 4, Folder 5 |
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Past Members, 1990s |
Box 4, Folder 6 |
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Informational, n.d. |
Box 4, Folder 7 |
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Women’s World, 1982–1996 |
Box 4, Folder 8 |
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Various Newsletters, 1978–2001 |
Box 4, Folder 9 |
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Brochures, n.d. |
Box 4, Folder 10 |
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Domestic/Family Violence, 1994 |
Box 4, Folder 11 |
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Recipes, 1990s |
Box 4, Folder 12 |
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Programs, 2000–2002 |
Box 4, Folder 13 |
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Miscellaneous, 1974–2002 |
Box 4, Folder 14 |
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Kiddie Kapers, 1964 |
Photographs, |
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International Evening, 1964–1970 |
Photographs, |
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Programs, 1970s |
Photographs, |
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Programs, 1988 |
Photographs, |
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Kiddie Kapers, 1965–1967 (1 of 2) |
Color Photographs, |
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Kiddie Kapers, 1967 (2 of 2) |
Color Photographs, |
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Programs, 1970s |
Color Photographs, |
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Supermarket Shopping Spree, 1976–1979 |
Color Photographs, |
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Donor Luncheon, 1984 |
Color Photographs, |
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Woman of the Year, 1985 |
Color Photographs, |
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Programs, 1988 |
Color Photographs, |
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Programs, 1990s |
Color Photographs, |
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Programs, 2000–2002 |
Color Photographs, |
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Children’s Home, n.d. |
Color Photographs, |
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Scrapbook, 1969 (1 of 3) |
OMB 0111, Folder 1 |
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Scrapbook, 1970–1974 (2 of 3) |
OMB 0111, Folder 2 |
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Scrapbook, 1974 (3 of 3) |
OMB 0111, Folder 3 |
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Chapter #324 Scrapbook, 1970 (1 of 2) |
OMB 0111, Folder 4 |
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Chapter #324 Scrapbook, 1970–1971 (2 of 2) |
OMB 0111, Folder 5 |
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Tablecloth (1 of 2) |
Artifacts: 2002.0757 |
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Tablecloth (2 of 2) |
Artifacts: 2002.0757 |
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Pins |
Artifacts 2002.0757 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
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2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
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4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0911).
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