The papers of Manfred Swarsensky illustrate his ministry to the Madison Jewish community and his congregation at Beth El Temple, as well as his humanistic leadership role within the Madison community at large. The collection has been arranged in four series: Personal Papers, Sermons and Addresses, Temple and Jewish Community Materials, and Reference Files.
Rabbi Swarsensky's PERSONAL PAPERS contain biographical materials and newsclippings, memorial tributes and materials from his 1981 memorial services, and an incomplete file of correspondence, in English, German, and Czechoslovakian. The biographical materials include a transcription of a tape-recorded interview, in which Swarsensky discusses his youth in Germany, concentration camp experiences, and Jewish immigration and life in the United States. General correspondence is quite scattered, but includes congratulatory letters received at the time of the dedication of Temple Beth El and some of the many condolence letters received by the Swarsensky family. Letters in German and Czechoslovakian include a memoir of Swarsensky's boat trip to the United States in 1939 and his experiences on Ellis Island, and correspondence relating to the family of Ilse Baum Mack regarding events during World War II. Other personal papers include programs, letters, and newsclippings concerning Rabbi Swarsensky's honorary degrees from Edgewood College and the University of Wisconsin, and programs, newsclippings, notes, and letters about his 1970 and 1979 trips to Berlin. On tape is a memorial service for Rabbi Swarsensky at Beth El Temple, November 22, 1981.
His SERMONS AND ADDRESSES have been arranged alphabetically by title, with separate folders of untitled sermons, addresses on the Holocaust, published speeches, and Thanksgiving sermons. Many of the sermons were originally delivered at Beth El Temple while Swarsensky was rabbi. Also present in this series is the manuscript of Intimates and Ultimates, with related materials.
TEMPLE AND JEWISH COMMUNITY MATERIALS form an incomplete file and illustrate only a portion of Rabbi Swarsensky's activities. Materials pertain to Temple Beth El, Madison, and concern the dedication ceremonies, church bulletins, president's reports, and miscellany. For the Gates of Heaven Synagogue, Madison, there are folders of materials concerning its National Landmark status, and a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jewish community materials include Madison Jewish cemetery lot assignments and a 1967 memo of the Jewish Burial Committee (Chevra Kadisha), and a small file concerning the American Jewish Tercentenary, 1954.
The majority of the collection consists of REFERENCE FILES, which include clippings, articles, near-print materials, and Rabbi Swarsensky's notes on Jewish holidays, services, teachings, contemporary Jewish thought and philosophy, Christianity, personal and spiritual development, and current issues of political and cultural interest. These materials were collected for personal reference and use in writing sermons, speeches, and addresses. They have been retained in approximately their original order, with many of the Rabbi's folder titles retained as well. Thus, the first portion of the files remains in alphabetical order, while the latter portion retains an arrangement by month of the year. Within the month-by-month files are materials probably collected for seasonal or holiday sermons and speeches.
