Title: Temple Beth El Records
Inclusive Dates: 1939-1980

Creator:

• Temple Beth El (Madison, Wis.)

Call Number: Mss 796; Micro 652

Quantity: 0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes) and 3 reels of microfilm (35mm)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Records of a Liberal Reform congregation founded in 1939. The collection contains financial reports (1951-1974), minutes (1939-1980), bulletins (1951-1980), scrapbooks (1944-1975), and Temple dedications (1950, 1964, 1976) that record the activities of the Temple, the religious school, the Sisterhood, and the Men's Club.

Note:

Forms part of the Wisconsin Jewish Archives.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00796

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Temple Beth El, a Reform Jewish synagogue located in Madison, Wisconsin, was founded in 1939 by seventeen men and women who felt a need for a synagogue dedicated to the liberal reform tradition in American Jewry. Early in 1940 they chose a recent emigrant from Nazi Germany, Manfred Swarsensky, to serve as their first rabbi. Temple Beth El was without a permanent home for the first eleven years of its existence and worshipped in such places as Baron's Department Store, Beth Jacob Synagogue, the First Unitarian Society, the Workmen's Circle, and the YMCA. During these years, however, members formulated plans to build their own synagogue. The Temple purchased land on Arbor Drive in Madison in 1948, construction began in mid-1949, and the new synagogue was dedicated September 10, 1950. The Temple continued to grow and had a membership of over 300 families by 1964. This growth forced the Synagogue to expand its facilities, and in 1965 an addition was completed which included an enlarged sanctuary, offices, an activities room, and a second kitchen.

Upon Rabbi Swarsensky's retirement in 1976, he was succeeded by Kenneth D. Roseman. Under his guidance the Temple has continued the educational and cultural programs initiated earlier. The religious school, Men's Club, and Sisterhood serve the religious needs of Temple Beth El's 400 families by teaching Jewish history and Hebrew and by staging concerts, lectures, and discussions on a variety of topics of interest to American Jews. Through these organizations the Temple also continues to provide a variety of services to the community-at-large such as aiding Operation Headstart and the Veterans Hospital, recording books for the blind, and other philanthropic and cultural causes.

The records are arranged in eleven categories: Adult Education, Building Contract And Specifications, Bulletins, Correspondence, Financial Reports, Membership Directories, Minutes, Religious Education, Reports, Scrapbooks, and Temple Dedications. Much of the material is available only on microfilm.

The Adult Education file (1955-1956, undated) contains programs for lectures and discussions on contemporary trends ranging from “Islam and Judaism” to the “Effects of Atomic Radiation of Heredity.” The Building Contract and Specification file (1949) includes the agreement made between Beth El congregation and Raymond N. Le Vee and associates of Chicago and Appleton, Wisconsin for the construction of the Temple.

The Bulletins are the Temple's monthly report to the members and detail dates and times of services, meetings, concerts, activities, and general membership news for 1960-1980. Previous bulletins, 1946-1959, are in the collection's Scrapbooks. The Scrapbooks, 1944-1975, represent a continuing project of the members to document the history of the Temple. They contain bulletins, photographs, clippings, special program notices, posters, and flyers. A special scrapbook is devoted to the 1975 celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Temple building.

The Correspondence consists mainly of the letters of Lawrence Weinstein during his tenure as president of the congregation, 1961-1964. Included are thank-you letters; letters regarding financial affairs; communications with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Beth El's national affiliation; and other general temple matters. Other correspondence can be found in the Minutes.

The Financial Reports contain yearly statements for 1951, 1957, 1962, and 1967, and monthly Treasurer's Reports for June 1970 to February 1974.

The four Membership Directories resulted from the Sisterhood's project to periodically update membership lists, and were done in 1962, 1964, 1967 and 1975.

The Minutes, 1939-1980, include those of the Board of Directors' meetings, some committee meetings, and annual Temple meetings. The annual meeting minutes contain reports of the president of the Temple, Men's Club, Sisterhood, and the Temple's treasurer. Minutes for the period 1964-1968 which were not microfilmed have been filed in Box 1, Folders 6-10. Of special note is a booklet summarizing the history and activities of the congregation, which was published to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary (May 26, 1964) of the Temple's founding.

The Religious Education file contains material relating to Temple Beth El's religious schools from 1967 to 1977. Included are mailings, an examination of classes and religious education in general, some listings of pupils, and an analysis of educational facilities.

Reports consists of a 1971 study titled “Congregation Temple Beth El: How Cohesive a Unit is It?” The Temple Dedications file consists of three booklets which provide concise histories of the congregation, describe its programs and services, and detail its future goals.

Acquisition Information

Original documents loaned for microfilming by Rabbi Kenneth D. Roseman, Madison, Wisconsin, 1977. Additions presented by Temple Beth El via Sue Blotner, Madison, Wisconsin, 1986. Accession Number: M77-135; M86-174

Processing Information

Processed by Thomas Hughes and Christine Rongone, 1978. Additions processed by Paul Barclay and Cindy Knight, 1991.

Mss 796 Box   1 Folder   1	Adult Education, “Contemporary Trends” series, 1955-1956, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	Building Contract and Specifications, 1949
	Bulletins
Micro 652 Reel   2 Frame   669-887	1951, 1960-1965
Reel   3 Frame   1-429	1966-1977
Mss 796 Box   1 Folder   3	1977-1980
Micro 652 Reel   2 Frame   318-522	Correspondence, 1949-1976
Mss 796	Financial Reports
Box   1 Folder   4	Annual, 1951, 1957, 1962, 1967
Box   1 Folder   5	Monthly, 1970 June-1974 February
Micro 652 Reel   3 Frame   1028-1091	Membership Directories, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1975
	Minutes
Reel   1 Frame   1-775	1939-1963
Reel   2 Frame   1-317	1964-1968
Mss 796 Box   1 Folder   6-10	1964-1967, 1968-1973
Box   2 Folder   1-6	1974-1980
Micro 652 Reel   2 Frame   523-668	Religious Education, 1967-1977, undated
Mss 796 Box   2 Folder   7	Report, 1971
Micro 652	Scrapbooks
Reel   3 Frame   430-997	General, 1944-1975
Reel   3 Frame   998-1027	Twenty-fifth Anniversary of Temple Building, 1975
Mss 796 Box   2 Folder   8	Temple Dedications, 1950, 1964, 1976