Labor Lyceum Association of Brockton (Mass.) Records
Scope and Content Note
The records of the Labor Lyceum of Brockton consist of two books containing minutes from the weekly meetings of the association’s Board of Directors, along with a small group of notes, receipts, and newspaper clippings that were placed in the larger of the two books. The records are primarily written in Yiddish, with a section of minutes between February 5, 1948 and March 4, 1954 written in English, and all of the entries run from right to left in the book, regardless of language.
Dates
- undated, circa 1927-1983
Creator
- Labor Lyceum Association of Brockton (Mass.) (Organization)
Language of Materials
The collection is in Yiddish and English.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Historical Note
The Labor Lyceum Association of Brockton was established in the mid-1920s as the governing body of the Labor Lyceum building in Brockton, Massachusetts. Brockton was an industrial center of shoe manufacturing in the late 19th and 20th centuries, earning the title of “Shoe City.” Jewish laborers and craftsmen, many from Eastern Europe, settled in the area to work in the shoemaking industry.
Labor lyceums were established around the country, many times in close association with the Workmen’s Circle ("Arbeter Ring," in Yiddish), a Jewish mutual aid society begun in New York City in 1900. They were often centers for Yiddish culture and socialist values where members could gather for socializing or host meetings, dances, and other events. Labor lyceums also acted as headquarters for labor unions and other political and social groups.
References
- Material from the collection.
- “About Brockton.” City of Brockton, Massachusetts, accessed December 3, 2016, /www.brockton.ma.us/Community/AboutBrockton.aspx>
- “Brockton, Massachusetts, USA.” JewishGen KehilaLinks, accessed December 3, 2016, /kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Brockton/Brockton.htm>
- Finkel, Ken. “The Labor Lyceum Movement in Philadelphia.” The PhillyHistory Blog, accessed December 3, 2016, /www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2014/06/the-labor-lyceum-movement-in-philadelphia/>
- “Labor Papers,” JewishGen Kehila Links, accessed December 3, 2016, /kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Brockton/Laborpapers.htm>
- Pollak, Oliver B. “The Workmen’s Circle and Labor Lyceum in Omaha, 1907-1977.” Nebraska History 76 (1995): 30-42.
- Weber, Laura. "Labor Lyceum and Workmen’s Circle." MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society, accessed December 3, 2016, /www.mnopedia.org/group/labor-lyceum-and-workmen-s-circle>
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 half-manuscript box)
Abstract
The Labor Lyceum Association of Brockton was established in the mid-1920s as the governing body of the Labor Lyceum building in Brockton, Massachusetts. Labor lyceums were often centers for Yiddish culture and socialist values where members could gather for socializing, and they also acted as headquarters for labor unions and other political and social groups. The collection consists of two books containing minutes from the weekly meetings of the association’s Board of Directors, along with a small group of notes, receipts, and newspaper clippings.
Physical Location
Located in Boston, Mass.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Israel Levine, 1990 and Jodi A. Greenburg, 2009.
Separated Material
High school diploma of Reuben Goodman removed from collection and is now in the oversized subject files collection.
Processing Information
Processed by Shannon Struble, 2016
- Title
- Guide to the Labor Lyceum Association of Brockton (Mass.) Records, I-268
- Author
- Processed by Shannon Struble
- Date
- 2017
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors Repository