B'nai B'rith, Rochester Lodge records
Scope and Contents
Materials date between 1944 and 1997. This collection consists of newsletters, meeting minutes, correspondence, finances, and photos from B'nai B'rith, Rochester Lodge.
Dates
- 1944-1997
Creator
- B'nai B'rith, Rochester Lodge (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.
Copyright
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
B'nai B'rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. As the largest and oldest Jewish fraternal organization, by 1903 B'nai B'rith had a membership of over 30,000, with more than 330 lodges. The B'nai B'rith Lodge located in Rochester, Minnesota was known as the Ira Weil Jeffrey Lodge #1488. B'nai B'rith began in Rochester in 1925, when complaints received by the Anti-Defamation League concerning discrimination at the local Mayo Clinic called for action. The B'nai B'rith Center opened its doors in 1952; situated two blocks away from the Mayo Clinic, the Center became a place for not only the local Jewish community but for the many visitors to Rochester for the Mayo Clinic. The Center was created alongside B'nai Israel Synagogue, a congregation which at the time had 40 members. The Center closed its doors in 1975, but chaplaincy services continued with support from B'nai B'rith.
Lodge activites include carnivals and programs with veterans hospitals; visits to hospitals and local homes for the elderly; blood banks; screenings and blood pressure testing; day care services for seniors; adult Jewish education; providing Passover packages for servicemen, and more.
Extent
1.55 Cubic Feet (1 Paige box, 1 hollinger box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of administrative and board materials from the Rochester chapter of B'nai B'rith, an international Jewish advocacy group.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest by Nettie Epstein (from husband Irwin) in 1990 and Gene Rosenblum in 1998.
- Human rights advocacy Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jews -- Minnesota Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Social advocacy Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Social justice Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Zionism Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- B'nai B'rith, Rochester Lodge records, 1944-1997
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Erin Smerage and Kate Dietrick
- Date
- June 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- January 2023: Revised to add newly found materials
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Upper Midwest Jewish Archives Collecting Area
