Guide to the Records of Temple Shalom of the Congregation Sons of Jacob (Salem, Massachusetts), undated, 1910-2006 [Bulk 1930-1998]
 
*I-553

Processed by Lael Dalal

Jewish Heritage Center at NEHGS

99-101 Newbury St.

Boston, MA 02116

Email: jhcreference@nehgs.org

URL: jewishheritagecenter.org

© 2019  Jewish Heritage Center at NEHGS, Boston, MA. All Rights Reserved.

Machine-readable finding aid created by Lael Dalal as MS Word document, October 2013. Finding aid was encoded by Christine McEvilly on May 20, 2014. Description is in English.

Historical Note1

Temple Shalom, or Temple Shalom of the Congregation Sons of Jacob, is an Egalitarian Conservative Jewish Synagogue in Salem, Massachusetts and the longest continuously established synagogue on the North Shore. The congregation was formally called the Sons of Jacob, which was founded by a group of European Jewish immigrants. Salem had a small Jewish community since colonial days, but the first recorded Jewish resident was David Conrad, a member of the Common Council in 1866. On December 29, 1898, a formal religious charter was issued to the Sons of Jacob Congregation. Max Winer was the first president, and services were held at various rented locations, including 4 Derby Square, Salem, MA. In 1899, land was purchased on Buxton Road in Danvers and was used as the Sons of Jacob cemetery. In 1903, the congregation purchased a former church at Essex and Union Streets where a Sisterhood and Brotherhood were formed, also called the Talmud Torah Auxiliary.

In 1936, Temple president Max Goldberg acquired real estate on Lafayette and Ocean Streets, hoping to someday build a bigger temple for the congregation. In 1940, Temple president Ben Axelrod acquired property adjacent to this plot, forming the plot of land Temple Shalom would be built upon. This site was used for 16 years as a Jewish Community Center, and was also used during World War II by the Red Cross and the Civilian Defense.

In 1948, the Sons of Jacob became an affiliate of the United Synagogue of America. After a successful fundraising campaign, the new Temple was built. A dedication ceremony was held on December 12, 1952, renaming the congregation Temple Shalom of the Congregation Sons of Jacob. The 35th anniversary of the building at 287 Lafayette Street was celebrated in 1987 and the 100th anniversary of the congregation in 1998 (counting the 1898 foundation of the Sons of Jacob). The 50th anniversary of the building was held in 2003. In 2013, the congregation’s building was up for sale and Temple Shalom was considering a merger with other conservative congregations in the area. The Jewish Journal reported in January of 2014 that Temple Shalom’s Board of Directors accepted an offer by Salem Renewal LLC to purchase the 287 Lafayette Street synagogue building. Salem Renewal LLC holds a Letter of Intent by Salem State University to lease the property.

• Footnotes

• ¹Information used in this finding aid is from the following sources:
  
  Forman, Amy. “Temple Shalom Building Sale Moves Forward,” The Jewish Journal. Vol 38 No 11, January 3, 2014.
  
  Temple Shalom, Temple Shalom, accessed October 2013, <http://www.shalomsalem.org/>.
  
  Tom Dalton, "Salem Temple Considering Merger," The Salem News August 14, 2013, <http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1084954012/Salem-temple-considering-merger>.
  
  Materials from the Collection
  
  

Scope and Content Note

The Records of Temple Shalom include correspondence, dedication booklets, extensive organization publications, service programs, and newsletters. There are also many photographs; many from the time of the Temple’s dedication and also portraits of various people from the early 20th century. These people may be associated with the Sons of Jacob by membership or marriage into a member’s family, but some relationships to the collection are unclear. There are also postcards, black and white and color film negatives, newspaper clippings, two audio cassette tapes (one of a speech by Temple President Donald Frye and the other of an annual meeting), certificates of congratulations for anniversaries from congressmen and state representatives, a small book on Jewish thought for a Bar Mitzvah, records of the Hebrew School Committee and a Junior Bible workbook (1926) belonging to Malcolm Racow. There is also a small series regarding past Rabbis’ activities, which include correspondence and speeches about racial tensions within the Temple community, and a photograph of Ethiopian Rabbi David Mathew Doré.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 6 series as follows:

• Series I: Events, undated, 1954-1998
• Series II: General, undated, 1910-2006
• Series III: Governance, undated, 1956-2005
• Series IV: Photographs, undated, 1915-2008
• Series V: Publications, undated, 1960-2000
• Series VI: Rabbis, undated, 1959-2001

Access and Use

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Collections and Engagement of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

This collection contains audiovisual or electronic media that requires special equipment to access. Please notify reference staff at reference@ajhs.org 24 hours in advance of needing access.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: reference@ajhs.org

Related Material

Congregation Anshai Sfard Papers (unprocessed)

Congregation Beth Israel (Cambridge, MA,) I-51

Kellerman Synagogue Photographs, P-931

Louis Winer Papers (unprocessed)

Richard Winer Papers (unprocessed)

Temple B’nai Jacob (Lexington, MA,) I-102

Temple Israel (Boston, MA), I-458

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Temple Shalom of the Congregation Sons of Jacob (Salem, Massachusetts) Records; I-553; box number; folder number; Jewish Heritage Center at NEHGS.

Acquisition Information

Donated by the Jewish Heritage Center of the North Shore in 2013.

Access Points

This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

• Subject Organizations:

  • B’nai B’rith
  • Poale Zion (U.S.)

• Subject Topics:

  • Conservative Judaism
  • Equality
  • Fraternal organizations
  • Jewish religious schools
  • Rabbis
  • Salem (Mass.)--Religious life and customs
  • Synagogue dedication services

• Subject Places:

  • Boston (Mass.)
  • Danvers (Mass.)
  • North Shore (Mass. : Coast)
  • Salem (Mass.)

• Document Types:

  • Advertisements
  • Audiocassettes
  • Booklets
  • Brochures
  • Certificates
  • Color Negatives
  • Correspondence
  • Negatives (photographic)
  • Notebooks
  • Notes
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Workbooks

Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Click the box in the request column to learn more about viewing materials at the Jewish Heritage Center at NEHGS.

Series I: Events, undated, 1954-1998
English
Box 1.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content: This series includes a large amount of items from the Salem Marketplace exhibit and Jewish Heritage Festival which provides historical information about the Temple and includes photographs and negatives of the Temple, history and photographs of Jews of Salem, and photographs of the actual exhibit. It also includes dedication booklets which give a history of the Temple, brochures, fliers, notes and newspaper clippings regarding the anniversaries of the Temple. It also contains photographs from the Salem Temple Shalom Festival, certificates and letters from congressmen and state representatives (including Bill Clinton) congratulating the Temple on their anniversaries, and photographs and invitations to these celebrations. This series also includes a copy of the corporation certificate of the Sons of Jacob from 1898.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
1	1	35th Anniversary of the Building	1987
1	2	100th Anniversary of the Congregation	1998
1	3	50th Anniversary of the Building	2003
1	4	Corporation	undated
1	5	Dedication	1952
1	6	Public Bazaar	1954
1	7	Salem Marketplace Exhibit and Jewish Heritage Festival	undated, 1970, 1980, 1982-1986, 1991-1992
1	8	Salem Temple Shalom Festival	1988

Series II: General, undated, 1910-2006
English
Box 1.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content: This series includes items from organizations within the Temple or Sons of Jacob, such as the Hebrew School, fundraising committee, Sisterhood, Brotherhood, Rabbinate, Choir, Royal Arcanum, Salem Lodge B’nai B’rith, and Young Men’s Hebrew Association/Young Women’s Hebrew Association. There are graduation exercise programs, a small book for a Bar Mitzvah entitled, Treasury of Jewish Thought, newspaper articles and clippings, various programs for organization activities, a cassette tape of a speech by Temple President David Frye, minutes of the Hebrew School Committee meetings, and Temple Shalom promotional materials and correspondence. There is a list of WWII Honor Roll Veterans within Temple Shalom and a postcard from 1914. There is some information of note about particular members represented in the collection: Dr. Jonas Galper, who wrote an article in a medical journal included in the collection, was a student of Temple Shalom’s Hebrew School; brothers Sam and Ben Axelrod served as presidents of Temple Shalom and purchased land for the new Temple; David Frye was a president of the Sons of Jacob and his wife Ida was a member of the Sisterhood of Temple Shalom; and the Racow, Goodman, and Harris families are related by marriage. There is also some material on a reception to honor two prominent members, Sarah Gass and Theodore Simons.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
1	9	Ackerman, Irving	undated, 1973-1998
1	10	Axelrod Family	1967-1997
1	11	Bixby Family	undated, 1930-1965
1	12	Brotherhood of Temple Shalom	1952-1960
1	13	Filenes Family	undated, 2006
1	14	Frye, David	undated, 1949-1998
1	15	Galper, Dr. Jonas--Journal Article	1999
1	16	Hebrew School Committee	undated, 1946-1960
1	17	History of Jews in Salem, by Edward Windsor Carberg	undated
1	18	Honor Roll WWII Veterans	undated
1	19	Kaplan, Dr. Israel	1986-1987
1	20	Newspaper Clippings	undated, 1903-2004
1	21	Postcard to Miss E.M. Sutherland	1914
1	22	Promotional Materials and Correspondence	undated, 1966-1997
1	23	Racow, Goodman and Harris Families	1910-1941
1	24	Reception to Honor Sarah Gass and Theodore Simons	undated, 1989-1990
1	25	Sisterhood of Temple Shalom	1952-1985
1	26	Speakers at Temple Shalom--Correspondence	1968-1971
1	27	YMHA and YWHA-Booklets	1931

Series III: Governance, undated, 1956-2005
English
Box 1.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Scope and Content: This series includes membership lists for various organizations within Temple Shalom such as Board of Directors and the Sisterhood, a copy of the purchase agreement of the Essex Street synagogue from 1903, a copy of the purchase agreement of the Salem Jewish Cemetery in Danvers from 1899, congressional meeting notes from 2005, a copy of a loan and discharge agreement for the Sons of Jacob Cemetery from 1901 and a recording of an annual meeting in 2001.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
1	28	Congregational Meeting	2005
1	29	Membership Lists	1956-1976
1	30	Purchase of Essex Street Synagogue	undated
1	31	Purchase of Salem Jewish Cemetery	undated
1	32	Recording of Annual Meeting	2001
1	33	Sons of Jacob Cemetery Loan and Discharge	undated

Series IV: Photographs, undated, 1915-2008
English.
Box 1.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically subject of photograph.
Scope and Content: This series includes black and white and color photographs from the old Essex Street location of Temple Shalom, the dedication ceremony, and Temple members and organizations. It also includes photographs of people and places which are unknown and whose connections to the Temple remain unclear. Photographs of various groups, such as the Royal Arcanum and Hebrew School, are included, as well as a photograph of the 5th Annual Convention of the Young Paolo Zion (Poale Zion), member of Histadut, in Albany, New York in 1926 (Box 1, Folder 45). Please note that folder 38 (Box 1), for Hymen Marcus, does not include the flier for “Round the Family Table” as it indicates in the donor letter within the folder.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
1	34	Aronson Family	undated
1	35	Bentley School -- Salem High School	1916-1959
1	36	Choir	1955
1	37	Cohen, Phillip (Pesach) and Eva	undated
1	38	Dedication	undated, 1951
1	39	Essex Street Location	undated, 1951
1	40	Fundraising Committee	undated
1	41	Gordon, Max	1915
1	42	Hebrew School	undated, 1948-1969
1	43	High Holy Days	1977
1	44	Kerr Family	undated
1	45	Lander, Celia “Tsipps”--Article	1998
1	46	Marcus, Hymen	undated, 1938-1980
1	47	Miscellaneous	undated, 1926-2008
1	48	Rogers, Norman	1931
1	49	Royal Arcanum -- Masons	undated
1	50	Salem Lodge B’nai B’rith	undated, 1935
1	51	Salem Temple Shalom	undated, 1951-1952
1	52	Schacht, Rose	undated
1	53	Scholnick, Dora Galper	undated, 1926
1	54	Winer Family	undated

Series V: Publications, undated, 1960-2000
English
Box 2.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by type of publication.
Scope and Content: This series includes various newsletters and programs that the Temple published such as bulletins, directories, programs for services, booklets of remembrance, and Temple Shalom news.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
2	1	Activities	1975-1998
2	2	Book of Remembrance	1997-2000
2	3-5	Bulletins	1969, 1971, 1982-1983
2	6	Directory	1975-1978
2	7	Friday Services	1960, 1982
2	8	News	1973-1975
2	9-10	Newsletters	1971-1974
2	11-12	Services	1984

Series VI: Rabbis, undated, 1959-2001
English.
Box 2.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by personal name.
Scope and Content: This series contains papers pertaining to activities conducted under five Rabbis at Temple Shalom. These include correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and newsletters. Of particular interest is the Rabbi Dov Pikelny folder which includes information on the Brotherhood, kindergarten at the temple, various speakers, and many other activities. There are letters and speeches reflecting social and racial issues (such as a speech by Harry Golden), urban development, law enforcement, and a photograph of Ethiopian Rabbi David Mathew Doré from Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation. There is a folder with information on the first female Rabbi hired on the North Shore, Rabbi Ilana Rosansky. There are also lists of the Rabbinate of Temple Shalom.
Box	Folder	Title	Date	Request
2	13	Rabbi Dov Pikelny	undated, 1971-1976
2	14	Rabbi Gerald Goldstein and Rabbi Samuel Klein	undated, 1959-1975
2	15	Rabbi Ilana Rosansky	undated, 2001
2	16	Rabbi Sam Kenner	1998
2	17	Rabbinate	undated, 1961-1981