Title: Temple Sholom (Eau Claire, Wis.) Records
Inclusive Dates: 1943, 1962-1976

Creator:

• Temple Sholom (Eau Claire, Wis.)

Call Number: Eau Claire Micro 10; Micro 634

Quantity: 2 reels of microfilm (35mm)

Repository:

Housed at the Area Research Center, William D. McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Eau Claire McIntyre Library / Eau Claire Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a synagogue which serves Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Jews in the Chippewa Valley; consisting of records from the Temple itself, the Women's B'nai B'rith, and the Men's B'nai B'rith. Included are financial records, minutes, correspondence, records generated by B'nai B'rith District 6, and other papers.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr0634

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Antecedents of Temple Sholom in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, date back to 1885 when the Jewish residents of the area first conducted services. Although the congregation has existed since then, it was not until the 1940's that the Temple became active in providing for the religious needs of Jewish families in the Eau Claire area.

Due to its relatively small size -- approximately thirty families -- the Temple acts as the shelter organization of all Jewish institutional life in the Chippewa Valley. Consisting of Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Jews, the congregation decided in 1969 to affiliate with the United Synagogue of America, the national organization of Conservative Judaism. The Temple and its member organizations, which include men and women's B'nai B'rith chapters, Hadassah, and United Synagogue Youth, provide the congregation with educational programs such as speakers, Hebrew lessons, a Sunday School, and study groups. Most of the services are lay-run, with rabbis from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area coming to celebrate the High Holy Days. The small size of the congregation has brought about changes in several of the organizations. In 1974 the women's Hadassah chapter voted to disband and become members at large. The following year the congregation decided to elect one set of officers for the Temple, the Men's B'nai B'rith, and the Women's B'nai B'rith because of difficulty in obtaining three sets of officers for all of the organizations.

In 1972 the Chippewa Valley B'nai B'rith Lodge, Temple Sholom's B'nai B'rith affiliate, received national attention when it voted to drop the “male only” clause of its membership rules.

The records of Temple Sholom are arranged in three series: Temple Sholom; Chippewa Valley B'nai B'rith, Lodge 1474; and Eau Claire B'nai B'rith Unit, Chapter 368. These series not only contain the records of the Temple and its men and women's B'nai B'rith chapters but also document the activities of the Temple as the religious focal point for the Jewish community in the Chippewa Valley.

The TEMPLE SHOLOM series consists of the records of the Temple itself, 1943, 1967-1976. Included are agenda, clippings, correspondence, financial records, mailing lists, and newsletters. A file on the United Jewish Appeal records members' donations, and a file on the United Synagogue conventions contains reports, resolutions, press releases, and correspondence.

The records of the CHIPPEWA VALLEY B'NAI B'RITH, LODGE 1474, the men's chapter, include an Anti-Defamation League file of correspondence and miscellany and a file of general correspondence, some of which focuses on the 1972 decision to drop the “male only” clause from the constitution. Material from District Six of the national B'nai B'rith includes convention proceedings, directories, minutes of the Minnesota-Wisconsin B'nai B'rith Council and of the local board of governors, programs, and policy statements.

The records of the EAU CLAIRE B'NAI B'RITH UNIT, CHAPTER 368, the women's affiliate, consists of correspondence and minutes. There are also directories, programs, policy statements, and miscellany from District Six of the national B'nai B'rith Women.

Acquisition Information

Originals loaned for microfilming by Morton Sipress, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1976. Accession Number: M76-455

Processing Information

Processed by Tim Hughes and Christine Rongone, November 11, 1977.

	Series: Temple Sholom
Reel   1 Frame   1-5	Agenda, 1968, 1970
Reel   1 Frame   6-12	Clippings and Press Releases, 1968-1971
Reel   1 Frame   13-457	Correspondence, 1943, 1968-1976
Reel   1 Frame   458-464	Financial Records, 1969-1970
Reel   1 Frame   465-474	Mailing Lists, 1969, 1973, undated
Reel   1 Frame   475-507	Miscellany, 1969-1975, undated
Reel   1 Frame   508-524	Newsletters, 1975-1976
Reel   1 Frame   525-544	United Jewish Appeal, 1967-1972
Reel   1 Frame   545-719	United Synagogue Convention, 1969, 1971, 1975
	Series: Chippewa Valley B'nai B'rith, Lodge 1474	⇧
	Local
Reel   1 Frame   720-787	Anti-Defamation League, 1971-1976
	Correspondence
Reel   1 Frame   788-966	1968-1973
Reel   2 Frame   1-125	1974-1976
	District Six
Reel   2 Frame   126-224	Convention Proceedings and Constitutional Revisions, 1969, 1972, 1975-1976
Reel   2 Frame   225-384	Directories, 1972-1973, 1975-1977
Reel   2 Frame   385-421	Minutes, 1972, 1975-1976
Reel   2 Frame   422-557	Programs, Policy Statements, and Miscellany, undated
	Series: Eau Claire B'nai B'rith Unit, Chapter 368	⇧
	Local
Reel   2 Frame   558-595	Correspondence, 1975-1976
Reel   2 Frame   596-784	Minutes, 1962-1975
	District Six
Reel   2 Frame   785-875	Directories, 1975-1977
Reel   2 Frame   876-1056	Programs, Policy Statements, and Miscellany, 1974-1976, undated