Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants Records
Scope and Content Note
The Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants Records represent research and deliverable documentation relating to both the creation of new Jewish Community Centers and the improvement of existing Jewish Community Centers across the United States, Canada, and Israel. In all, Rosen consulted on 103 JCCs in the United States, 10 in Canada and Mexico, 3 in England and France, and 18 in Israel.
Series I contains photographs of existing Jewish Community Centers and photographs of architectural drawings of prospective centers. This series also includes slides and negatives of existing centers. The bulk of Series II contains documentation on conducting focus groups, assessment data on community needs and space allotments, as well as workbooks and manuals for Jewish Community Centers to use in the processes of staff training, fundraising, and outreach. Also included in this series are administrative materials related to the interior and exterior furnishings of centers and research into purchasing those furnishings, as well as oversized architectural blueprints of specific JCCs around the United States and Canada.
Dates
- Creation: 1950-2005
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1970 - 2000
Creator
- Rosen, Harry R. (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in English.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.
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
Historical Note<extptr actuate="onload" altrender="Portrait of Harry R. Rosen" href="http://digital.cjh.org/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=3473723" show="embed" title="Portrait of Harry R. Rosen"/>
The Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants company was a firm dedicated to the building and renovation of community centers across the globe. The firm, led by Harry R. Rosen, specialized in consulting with Jewish Community Campuses and Centers (JCCs) and aiding their successful partnerships with regional Jewish Federations. Along with frequently consulting with the centers' physical constructions, the Rosen's firm was also heavily involved in supporting the day-to-day business structures of the centers. The services of Rosen's consulting firm included not just assistance with architecture and interiors, but also staff development and training, promoting community awareness for the values of Jewish Community Centers, providing techniques for both internal and external Center fundraising, and preparing budget and needs assessments for future growth and expansions.
Rosen was personally an active member of many Jewish community organizations, such as Chairman of the National Jewish Committee of the Boy Scouts of America. He served as Executive Director of Jewish Community Centers in Norfolk, VA, Toledo, and Philadelphia for several years, as well as Executive Vice President of the Jewish community center of Dallas for fourteen years. He served as National President of the Association of Jewish Center Professionals, as well as Regional President for both the American Camping Association and the National Association of Social Workers. This dedication to improving Jewish life both with physical building creation and with personal community enrichment can be seen not only through these personal pursuits, but the attention to detail in these records.
Because of his extensive knowledge in community building consulting, Rosen was occasionally featured as a trainer at JCC Board Institutes and as a lecturer on group social work at several colleges, including the University of Toledo. His book, The Complete Guide for Building Your New Jewish Community Center, was published by the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) in 1983.
Extent
7.25 Linear Feet (14 manuscript boxes + 1 half-manuscript box + 1 oversized box)
Abstract
The Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants Records consist of photographs, research, and administrative documentation by and for the dozens of Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) in the United States, Canada, and Israel that Harry R. Rosen and his firm helped develop from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into two series. The arrangement is based on the original filing system of both the photographs and the administrative files, with alterations and folder title clarifications for ease of use. Any loose items (not in folders) were incorporated with similar items.
- Series II: Administrative Materials, undated, 1950-2005
- Subseries 1: Blueprints, undated, 1981-1998
- Subseries 2: Budgets, undated, 1981-2005
- Subseries 3: Buildings, undated, 1973-1995
- Subseries 4: Forms, undated, 1959-1991
- Subseries 5: Fundraising, undated, 1980-2002
- Subseries 6: Internal, undated, 1950-2004
- Subseries 7: Leadership, undated, 1963-1993
- Subseries 8: Studies, undated, 1954-2001
Physical Location
Located in AJHS New York, NY
Acquisition Information
Gift of Harry R. Rosen in 2008 and 2009.
This collection is a combination of two separate accessions; one from 2008 and another from 2009. The 2008 accession included most of the photographs, the blueprints, and spiral-bound needs assessment reports. The 2009 accession contained primarily administrative documents and files relating to space design, forms, studies, workbooks for community center fundraising and staff training, as well as additional annual needs-assessment reports.
Separated Material
This collection contained a significant number of mail-order catalogs, ranging from furniture to greenhouse sales. The catalogs were discarded.
A VHS tape titled "2002 JCC MACCABI GAMES Highlight Video/Omaha" has been separated to the AV collection for proper storage.
The two manuscript boxes containing photographic materials have been moved to photographic storage.
Processing Information
Photographs, slides, and negatives were placed into new folders and re-housed in new archival sleeves and boxes. Due to the quantity of photographic materials, these items have been removed into the AJHS photo collection for storage.
The folders containing administrative documents were roughly organized before processing. Much of the collection's original filing system has been maintained throughout processing. Those documents that were unfiled (loose) have been incorporated with similar subject items.
Subject
- Rosen, Harry R. (Person)
- Association of Jewish Center Workers (U.S.) (Organization)
- Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants (Organization)
- JCC Association (Organization)
- JWB (Organization). Jewish Book Council (Organization)
Genre / Form
- Administrative records
- Articles
- Blueprints (reprographic copies)
- Brochures
- clippings (information artifacts)
- Pamphlets
- Photographs
- Posters
- Printed ephemera
- Reports
Geographic
- Boca Raton (Fla.)
- Dallas (Tex.)
- Jacksonville (Fla.)
- Jerusalem
- Long Beach (Calif.)
- Miami (Fla.)
- Netivot (Israel)
- Ottawa (Ont.)
- Phoenix (Ariz.)
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Harry R. Rosen Community Building Consultants Records 1950-2005 I-577
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Janine Veazue
- Date
- © 2012
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- as part of the Leon Levy Archival Processing Initiative, made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation
Repository Details
Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository
